


Fanboy

by jessie_cristo



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Age Swap, Alpha Jared Padalecki, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Amusement Park, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Space, Alternate Universe - Zombies, Baby Goat - Freeform, Chastity Belt, Egg Laying, Eggpreg, Elemental Magic, First Flight, First Meetings, First Time, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Flight, Mating Rituals, Mpreg, Omega Jensen Ackles, Schmoop, Sex in Space, Younger!Jensen, dragon magic, older!Jared
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-14
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2018-08-22 08:33:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 54,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8279597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessie_cristo/pseuds/jessie_cristo
Summary: College student Jensen Ackles is a Jared Padalecki superfan and an all around wholesome good guy. One fateful day he risks life and limb to save a young girl from being abducted. The little girl’s Gypsy grandmother is very grateful. Magic is in the air.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Special Thanks to my wonderful, lovely and oh-so-patient Betas:  
> Grace E., Teresa P., Mari K.R. and Cynthia C.  
> Love you ladies so much! <3

“Earth to Ackles, come in, Ackles… YO!”

Jensen snapped out of his daydream with a start, nearly falling from the small stool he’d been perched on behind the counter. He took in the irate countenance of his manager and best friend, Milo – the smaller man holding his hands out in a questioning gesture. Jensen smiled sheepishly as he straightened the beige polo shirt with ‘V’s Video Café’ emblazoned on the left side of his chest, before meeting the Milo’s eyes, blushing slightly at having been caught spacing out while on the job.

Milo rolled his eyes and leaned over the counter to see the small monitor screen that Jensen had been staring at. He sighed then dropped back on his heels as he fixed Jensen with an exasperated stare.

“Again, Jen? How many times are you gonna watch that?”

“Come on, man. It’s a classic!”

Milo laughed, dismissively. “Dude… Star Wars is a classic. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is a classic. Freakin’ “One Man Army” starring freakin’ Jared Padanecky is not a classic!”

“It’s Padalecki, and it was Jared’s first film! He’s made dozens since, so technically, it IS a classic!”

“Whatever… It’s a dumbass movie, Jen! Even the name of it is dumb. I mean, what? Padawookie was only eighteen when he made it?”

“Seventeen… and it’s Padalecki.”

“Whatever… the point is he was just a kid! Not even a man yet and they titled it “One Man Army”. What a load of bull!”

“If it’s so horrible, why did it set box office records? Why did Jared win so many awards for it, huh?”

“Because there are millions of sycophantic, undersexed loners out there, just like you who only watch his movies to see if he’ll take his shirt off again.”

“I don’t only watch them for that! Jared is an amazing actor!”

“I have to agree with Jensen on that one. But you young punks wouldn’t know a classic if it came up and bit you in the ass.” Grumbled old Mr. Slovski, one of the shop’s regular customers. “Gone with the Wind is a classic… Casablanca is a classic… and Padalecki is one of the few actors out there today who knows his stuff.”

“Oh, what do you know, you old fart? All you rent are DVDs guaranteed to show some tits and ass - and those movies you mentioned aren’t classics. They’re ancient histories.” Milo shot back.

Slovski clutched at his heart dramatically. “Sacrilege, boy! How dare you?!”

“I dare to call it like it is. Now, are you gonna go get your pastrami and coffee or not? They’ve been calling your order over there for the past 5 minutes already.”

“Pshh… young punk.” The old man muttered as he hurried to collect his sandwich and drink in the café on the other side of the large, spacious room. One half was set up as a cozy little café, the other side a DVD rental shop decorated to look like a vintage bookstore; a low wooden counter separating the two halves, with gaps in the counter for customers to go from one side to the other.

Milo was about to continue arguing with Jensen when he suddenly whipped back around and called out to the old man.

“Hey! Girls Gone Wild 14 is coming in later, want me to hold a copy for you?” Milo said loudly, deliberately, customers sitting in the café turned to look at the old man, some with shock, others with amusement.

“Hell yeah!” the old man yelled back, without an iota of shame.

Milo looked back at Jensen with a long-suffering look, and then the two friends burst out laughing.

“Seriously, dude. You’ve been a fan of Padalooky –“

“PadaLECKI!”

“Whatever… for almost ten years now! Write the dude a letter and tell him how much you wanna shine his knob for him.”

“Milo!”

“Am I wrong?”

The friends stopped their bantering as an old woman in a black dress with a crocheted black shawl draped over her bent shoulders walked up to the counter with a little girl that had jet black hair, blue eyes and was dressed in a pink tee, jeans and white sneakers. The little girl handed up the three DVDs she held and smiled sweetly at Jensen.

She couldn’t have been more than six, and Jensen couldn’t help but smile as she politely asked if she could rent the movies. Jensen loved children of all ages and the little darling in front of him was just too adorable for words.

“Of course you can, sweety. Wow, you have Coraline, Ratatouille AND The Iron Giant?” He glanced at Milo and grinned. “Those are some serious classics you’ve got there. Sure they’re not a little too much for a five year old?”

“I’m six and a half!” the little girl said, with a grumpy frown.

“Oh you’re six! My mistake… you’re more than ready for these movies then, darlin’.” Jensen said playfully, smiling delightedly down at her. The little girl blushed, but smiled back at him.

Milo grinned, then shook his head. “Such a ladies’ man.” He muttered, then walked off towards the back of the shop where his office was.

“They’re my favorites.” The little girl said, she then turned to the old lady and pointed to the front of the store where the large picture windows had an unobstructed view of the street and the passersby on the sidewalk. “Nona, can I get a gum?” she asked, indicating the large, vintage gumball machine sitting in front of the store.

“How much do you need, dear?” the old lady asked.

“They’re twenty-five cents, ma’am.” Jensen told her helpfully, as he prepped the DVDs they’d chosen.

“Here’s four quarters. You get two for you and two for me. I like the green ones. But you come right back in when you’re done. You hear me, Natalie?”

“Yes, Nona.” The little girl skipped out of the store and went straight to the machine as the old woman turned to pay for the DVDs.

Just as Jensen was about to scan the second DVD a loud screeching of brakes could be heard coming from outside the store.

“NATALIE!” the old woman cried out.

Jensen’s eyes flew to the gumball machine outside, not seeing the little girl, his eyes shot towards the wide sidewalk and saw a tall man wearing a ratty tee, jeans and a baseball cap trying to wrestle the little girl towards a white minivan that was stopped half on, half off the sidewalk. The people on the sidewalk all seemed to be in shock as they just stood there and stared, as the little girl screamed and fought furiously. One woman tried to intervene and suddenly the kidnapper had a switchblade in his hand, which he slashed out at her with. The woman fell back holding her arm, blood gushing through her fingers.

Before he even realized what he was doing, Jensen was over the counter, through the door of the shop and running full tilt towards the kidnapper and little Natalie. The kidnapper had Natalie behind him, shuffling backwards slowly, while his other hand held out the knife towards other onlookers who had stepped forward to try and stop him.

Darting between two men, Jensen let loose a high vicious kick into the underside of the man’s knife arm, the man screamed as his arm broke with an audible snapping sound, his useless arm lost hold of the knife as the searing pain caused him to also loosen his hold on Natalie. Jensen quickly pulled her up into his arms, turning her away from him in case he tried to grab her again, Jensen used the momentum to give the kidnapper a roundhouse kick to the stomach, sending the man flying towards the open side door of the van, where another man reached out and pulled him in. The door closed and the van lurched off the sidewalk and took off down the street, tires leaving a layer of rubber behind on the asphalt. Before the tires caught however, Jensen noted a pastrami sandwich smacking into the passenger side window, and he flashed a grin at Mr. Slovski who was standing at the edge of the crowd nearest to the café entrance.

The little girl wrapped her arms around Jensen, crying fitfully as her little body shook with her hard sobs. Jensen tried to console her as the grandmother hurried up, pulling her out of Jensen’s arms. The old lady was crying in relief as she smoothed her hands over the little girl’s hair. “That was amazing, young man!” she said, looking up at Jensen, who only blushed, bowing his head as he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“Self-defense courses for a year at the community center, ma’am. It was nothing special.”

Jensen suddenly remembered the injured woman and whirled around to look at her. He dropped to his knees beside her, and took her bleeding arm into his hands.

“I need something to bind the wound!” he said, even as he removed his belt and cinched it higher up on her arm above the large, deep cut that was bleeding copiously.

“Do you know what you’re doing?” asked the injured woman with a soft, trembling voice.

“First Aid classes at the center another year.” He answered, with a grin.

“I n-need to sign up at th-this center.” The woman joked, weakly.

Another woman in the crowd offered her shawl to Jensen which he folded as neatly as he could and pressed it firmly to the cut, even as another witness called out that he’d called 911. There must’ve been a unit nearby because in less than 5 minutes a police car pulled up to the curb and two uniformed cops jumped out and hurried over. “What’s going on here?” The bigger of the two called out, and everyone tried to talk to him at one time.

The smaller cop held up his hands, urging everyone to calm down. Looking at Jensen and the old lady still trying to calm the little girl, he frowned when he spotted the woman bleeding on the ground. “Call in an EMT. We’ve got an injured woman, here.”

“Jensen! Oh my God, what happened?!” Milo shouted as he came pushing through the quickly growing crowd just as two more cop cars pulled up to the curb, the cops that scrambled out of them immediately began crowd control measures, asking everyone to step back and give them room.

The big cop from the first unit to arrive looked at Jensen and the injured woman. “Sir… ma’am? I’m Officer Penikett, and this is my partner, Officer Kelly. Can I get your names and can you tell us what happened here?”

“They’re heroes!” someone from the crowd yelled out.

“They stopped that man from taking my granddaughter.” Called out the old lady, as she stepped closer, Natalie clinging to her waist; shaken, but no longer crying.

“I’m Jensen Ackles. I… I work at V’s Video.” Jensen he said gesturing towards the shop behind him, the adrenaline that had fueled him earlier starting to ebb, leaving him feeling a little woozy and trembling.

“My… my name is Rachel Miner.” Said the injured woman. “I was just walking by when I saw a man trying to take the little girl. I tr-tried to st-stop him, but he cut me!”

Officer Kelly then knelt beside Jensen and indicated that he’d take over from Jensen. Jensen released his hold on the scarf and stood up on his shaky legs. He immediately felt lightheaded and began to sway on his feet. Milo was instantly at his side, grabbing his arm and slinging his other arm around Jensen’s waist to steady him.

“Maybe you should sit down, sir.” Officer Penikett suggested, just as an ambulance turned in at the end of the street and began making its way towards them - cars and people scrambling to get out of its way.

Milo helped Jensen to sit on the sidewalk. Jensen began gasping softly, as the enormity of what he’d done and what could’ve happened to the innocent little girl hit him. He suddenly felt nauseated. Leaning forward, he bent his legs up so he could rest his forehead against his knees.

He had never been in such a violent and scary situation before in his life, and everything up until that moment still seemed like a blur in his mind.

Just then, the EMTs arrived on the scene and they immediately took over the care of Rachel and Jensen. Even with his protests, Jensen was taken along with Rachel to the Emergency Room at Saint Anthony’s Medical Center less than a mile away. Jensen vaguely recalled Milo saying he’d call his brother in to mind the shop and that he’d meet Jensen at the ER. Officers Kelly and Penikett offered to take the old lady and the little girl along too, just to make sure that little Natalie wasn’t hurt in any way, and the old woman agreed.

Sometime later, after being cleared of any injuries and given a mild sedative to calm him down, Jensen sat in the ER waiting room hoping for an update on Rachel, while waiting for Milo to show up so that he could get a ride back to the shop where his car was. Jensen felt an overwhelming weariness settle over him. Maybe he’d just have Milo take him straight home and he’d get his car tomorrow. Jensen’s chin dipped down to his chest as he fell asleep, still unsure what he wanted to do but unable to fight off the lethargy.

In a curtained cubicle in the ER ward, Rachel lay asleep - blood loss, painkillers and the exhaustion of getting stitches in her arm finally taking its toll and sending her into a deep sleep as well.

Outside in the hall, the double doors that led from the receiving area opened on their own despite there being no guard there to hit the button and no staff with a passcard to open them, either.

The little old lady in black walked calmly through the doors and down the hall. Nurses, doctors and other staff walking around her as if they didn’t see her. She silently slipped into Rachel’s cubicle and came to stand by the side of the sleeping woman’s bed. She laid one hand on Rachel’s forehead, the younger woman seeming to settle into an even deeper sleep as the old woman began chanting in the language of her people.

When she finished, she spoke softly to the brave young woman.

“For your selflessness in aiding to save the blood of my blood with the shedding of your own blood, I grant you a blessing. Gone will be your worries. Gone will be your pain. Live long and continue to change lives for the better, sweet lady.”

She then turned and walked out the way she came. Gliding through the halls soundlessly, she soon came to the waiting room where Jensen was slumped in a hard plastic chair, his handsome face looking younger in his slumber.

She gently tilted his head back and then laid one hand on his forehead as she did with Rachel. After speaking the arcane words again, she gently caressed Jensen’s hair from his face.

“For your selflessness in saving the blood of my blood, I grant you a blessing. Gone will be your loneliness. Gone will be your fears. Live your life freely for love and trust will be yours and you will go on to inspire others, brave young man.”

With a last soft smile on her face, the old woman turned and left the room as silently as she’d entered it.

Jensen will later find out that the old woman and her granddaughter were never found by the police for a statement. Also, all footage from security cameras both inside and outside the shop, as well as at the hospital were too blurred to identify her. What Penikett never shared with Jensen or Rachel though, was that the blur only appeared over the bodies and faces of the old woman and her granddaughter; the rest of the footage collected, was crystal clear.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Two days later… the First Day of Blessing

“Are you sure you don’t wanna come?” asked Milo, for what must’ve been the fiftieth time. “Micah agreed that we can treat you for the trip. C’mon man… three days of fun, sun, skiing and snow bunnies! You won’t have to pay for a thing.”

“I can’t. I need to work and build up my savings again. Believe me, if I could travel for holidays, I’d be going home. My momma’s already upset with me as it is, if she found out I went to Aspen with you and your brother, she’d have my hide.”

“Can’t believe you blew your savings on that damned convention. Does your momma know about that?”

“She understands. It’s what I’ve dreamed of for so many years. How many times have we had a Comic Con that also has Jared as one of the guests come so close to our town before and I had the means to go? I can’t pass up this opportunity, Milo.”

“You are such a fanboy.”

“And proud of it. Now go… have fun. See ya in a couple of days.”

“Don’t let my uncle give away too many freebies and for God’s sake, keep him away from the pecan tarts!” Milo said with an impudent grin for the older man who had just walked up to stand beside Jensen.

Milo’s Uncle Marko snorted a laugh that set his round, bulging belly to shaking, he tossed a half-eaten pecan tart at his nephew. “Go on, get out of here, you little shit. I’m in charge now.”

Milo snatched the tart out of the air and popped it in his mouth before turning and getting into the cab. They watched it drive off for a minute or two, then Marko turned to Jensen and clapped him on the shoulder with one large plate-like hand.

“And you, you’ve got a paid 3-days off, Mr. Hero.”

“Wait, what? No… I’m scheduled to work…”

“Nope, my brother Maurice, Milo’s daddy and owner of the shop as you know, said to give you a reward, and this is it. So go time out, and get out of here.”

“Wow… I don’t know what to say. Thank you!”

“Said pretty well, I think. Go home, go out, relax… whatever! You deserve it, young man.”

Jensen grinned happily, then turned to rush back into the shop.

**_Nine hours later, in his apartment…_ **

Jensen lay sprawled upon the large, comfy couch he and Milo had found next to a dumpster down the street. They had worked a whole Saturday to fix what was broken and to reupholster it, and it was his second favorite piece of furniture; right after the large king-sized bed that had also been found and refurbished. He was flipping through the basic cable channels on his television, bored out of his mind, but also not in the mood to tackle the report he had to turn in to his professor on Monday.

Frustrated with finding nothing to watch, Jensen shut off the television with a gusty sigh. Reaching over to his beat up old laptop, he turned it on and settled in to wait for it to boot up. After quite a while, he was able to log on to his facebook account. He smiled the moment he saw that he had two messages waiting for him. 

He opened the one from his mother first.  


> _\--Hi sweetheart. Just sending you love from the family. Your Uncle Simon and his family were the first to arrive as always and his youngest keeps chasing the cat around trying to put an elf’s hat on it. The three oldest ones keep fighting over the TV remote, and though I love your Auntie Patty, I will strangle the woman if she tries to change my recipe for the stuffing one more time! Anyways, missing you this holiday, you father, brother and sister send you their love and I hope the package I sent you got to you intact. All of our presents to you are in it. I found something on ebay I thought you’d like, don’t worry about what it might’ve cost me, you are worth it. Kisses and hugs xoxo--_

The second message was from Milo.  
__

> _\--You should’ve come with us, dude. We met three hot lil numbers the moment we got off the plane in Aspen. One of them had her brother with her, and even if I don’t go for cock, I know this guy would’ve had you creaming ur underoos in no time. Got to go, we got invited to a party!!! Later, loser! Try not to work too hard.—_

Jensen shook his head in amusement, but a part of him did wonder what would’ve happened had he accepted the Ventimiglia brothers’ invitation. It had been quite a while since he’d last gotten laid and that had been a random hookup when he and Milo had driven to Ft. Lauderdale for Spring Break.

Shaking his head again in dismissal of his thoughts, Jensen jumped up and rushed to put some clothes on over the overstretched tee and black boxer briefs he’d been puttering about his apartment in, deciding to check his mail down the street and to also stop off somewhere for dinner. Grabbing his keys, he left his apartment whistling to himself. His mom’s mention of his Christmas parcel and a sudden hankering for Vitale’s deep dish pizza putting a spring in his step.

The parcel from his mother was in, and though eager to get home and open it, his growling stomach won out. At Vitale’s, Jensen is pleasantly surprised when he runs into two of his closest friends, Chris and Steve, having dinner together. The two had been an item since high school and Jensen loved seeing how happy they still were together, but a part of him couldn’t help but watch them wistfully at times, wishing he could find a love as strong as theirs for himself.

Despite his demurrals about intruding on their cozy dinner, the two talk Jensen into joining them and he ends up leaving the restaurant with his parcel gripped clumsily in his arms, a good two hours later. The one or two glasses of wine he’d promised himself before dinner had turned into four plus one or two shots of Chris’ favorite tequila. He knew he was drunk, but still pretty clearheaded as he walked as steadily as he could back to his apartment; the cool, crisp night air slightly invigorating him and the newly rising full moon above, lighting his way.

Getting home, he headed straight for his kitchen. Leaving the box on the counter he rummaged through his catch-all drawer until he found the scissors he was looking for. Being extra careful not to nick himself with the sharp shears, he opened his box eagerly.

Resting right on top of what looked like a pile of Christmas sweaters, cookie tins, books and other gifts sent by his family was a flat, cardboard box. Slicing through the tape sealing the box he found a thick sheet of paper in a spring green color with his mother’s name written elegantly in a gold script at the top. Jensen’s moss green eyes welled with tears as he read what was written on it, in his mother’s unmistakable elegant penmanship.

>   
>  _\--My dear Jensen,_  
>  Although many have told you that you need to grow up and give up your childish fantasies, I have never encouraged you to do so. It’s because it is what makes you who you are and you are a wonderful, kind and loving man. No mother could ever be prouder of her son as I am of you. Continue being the dream-chaser, the one who looks beyond the horizon, the man who has touched the lives of so many others and made it better for having known you. The moment I saw this item, I knew it was for you.  
>  Love you forever and a day… your Mother.--

Laying the letter gently to the side, Jensen unfolded the soft, white tissue paper to reveal what was in the box and then gasped.

Encased in an elegant silver frame was a promotional picture of Jared from Jensen’s favorite movie, _One Man Army_ , wearing the signature red and black plaid shirt his character had made famous. Merged tastefully to the promo pic was another picture of Jared sitting at a nondescript wooden desk, wearing a white tee shirt and jeans, signing the red plaid shirt.

Gasping again, he laid the frame to the side carefully and grabbed up the clear, plastic vacuum packed bundle underneath and held it up in his hands reverently, breathing hard in his excitement. Through the plastic he could see the red plaid shirt and on top of it a certificate of authenticity.

Outside his apartment building, a gust of wind picked up, scattering leaves and random trash wildly down the street. Above, dark clouds skittered across the full, silver moon.

In his apartment, still staring at the package in his hands, Jensen spun around, mouth gaping in shock as a gust of wind blew through the window he always forgot to close in his living room, causing the periwinkle blue curtains to billow strongly into the room, and sending loose papers, random receipts and magazines flying off the coffee table that was situated directly across from the window.

Jensen only had a chance to blink twice in confusion before the wind hit him and enveloped him in a whirlwind of flying paper and shredded magazine pages. He cried out as a crushing wave of dizziness caused him to lose hold of the package as he slumped almost gracefully to the kitchen floor, the package thumping softly to the floor beside him, the edges of the plastic curdling and then peeling back until the shirt fell out onto the floor beside Jensen; the certificate pulled into the vortex.

As he lay there, blinking dazedly up at the mini cyclone of debris swirling above his body, Jensen could hear a woman's voice, instantly recognizing the heavily accented, rich voice of the grandmother of the little girl he'd rescued, resounding in his head.

_\--For your selflessness in saving the blood of my blood, I grant you a blessing. Gone will be your loneliness. Gone will be your fears. Live your life freely for love and trust will be yours and you will go on to inspire others, brave young man.—_

Just as the words sank deep into his mind, Jensen’s eyes fluttered shut, as a wave of blackness overtook him and pulled him under.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay... I'm trying to make the chapters longer so that y'all have more to read whenever I do update. I'm still going thru some personal issues but I'm trying my best to work around them. Hope you like this chapter, and please, I love hearing from y'all about what you think of the story. xoxo JC

Jensen woke to a large hand pressing hard against his mouth. He tried to cry out in surprise, but all that came out was a muffled squeak.

His jade-like eyes widened in surprise as he gazed up at tilted, golden-green ones staring intently down at him. He took in the soft-looking, dark brown hair framing a strong, handsome face; the long, strong nose and delectably shaped lips with the pouty bottom curve and felt light-headed as he recognized who was crouched above him.

Resorting to an old trick he used to pull on Milo whenever his old friend tried to muffle him in the same way, Jensen licked the hand covering his plush lips.

The hazel eyes widened, darkening with burgeoning desire even as the large hand was pulled back in surprise. “Uhhh…” was all the large man seemed to be able to say.

Jensen cleared his throat softly. “Am I dreaming?” he asked, lamely. Inwardly flinching at how high and tremulous his voice was. He cleared his throat and tried again. “You’re Jared… Padalecki… holy shit.” He said, his usual deep voice back to normal, even if he was still caught up in a disbelieving haze.

The bigger man also seemed to regain his voice. “Prince Jensen… I don’t know this Jared Pada-recky… I’m Captain Frank Barclay. My crew and I were hired to rescue you.”

Jensen grinned at him, then started chuckling. The chuckling turned into full blown laughter as he rolled to his side clutching his stomach. Laughing so hard tears formed then spilled from his tightly clenched eyes.

He laughed even harder when Frank-Jared tried to muffle him again.

“He’s lost his mind. Bastards probably tortured him so much that he’s lost his damn mind.” Said a new voice, in a loud whisper.

Jensen’s laughter chopped off as his eyes flew open and he finally noticed that he and Frank-Jared weren’t alone in the prison cell. Wait, what… Prison cell?

Jensen sat up where he was, and flinched as his body resounded with a cacophony of aches and pains. He felt a strong arm wrap around his waist in support, and Jensen’s head snapped up to stare in shock at Jared, or Frank, or whatever he was calling himself.

“This is a joke, right?” he said. “You guys are playing a prank on me using your characters from the movie _‘Space Mercs’_ on me, aren’t you?”

Jensen inwardly begged the men to confirm that this was all a joke or a dream. But even though Jensen had dreamed about being the one rescued by the mercenary Frank Barclay, captain of the spaceship _‘Ne’er Do Well’_ , none of his dreams had his whole body aching as if he’d been run over by a Mack truck feeling before. The pain was all too real for Jensen’s taste.

_This is a dream. This has to be a dream!_

He looked up at the other man crouched near the cell door and shook his head stubbornly.

“This isn’t real. I’m not stuck in some fucked up dream about a damned movie. You are Danny Trenton, played by Chad Michael Murray, and he…” Jensen paused to point at Jared. “…is Frank Barclay, played by my favorite actor, Jared Padalecki. I am going to wake up soon, and this will all be over.”

Danny-Chad, was now looking at him with a mixture of caution and pity.

Frank-Jared, however, was smiling softly at him with a soft light of adoration in his beautiful hazel eyes. “I’m your favorite?” he asked softly.

Danny-Chad groaned in annoyance. “Frank… geez! Stow the loverboy crap! We were paid to rescue him, not for you to treat him like another one of your slut boys.”

Frank-Jared shot Danny-Chad a dark look, as he pulled Jensen closer to him using the arm still wrapped around his waist. Jensen flamed red as he remembered that in the movie, a ‘slut boy or girl’ was one of the many men and women who had been in an experimental program that was supposed to alter their brains to be perfect soldiers, but instead turned them into outright nymphomaniacs. Instead of terminating them, the government gave them over to the Stress Clinics where single status citizens went once or twice a week for ‘relief’.

Jensen was suddenly unhappy with how Frank-Jared had him practically sitting in his lap, so he grabbed the large hand gripping his waist and bent back one of the fingers in a painful hold, the bigger man shouted in surprised pain and yanked his hand free; which in turn allowed Jensen to clamber off his warm lap and scoot himself across the floor a few feet away from the disappointed looking captain. A part of him instantly missed the heat of the bigger man’s body, but Jensen’s respect for himself stopped him from returning to the man, staying where he was crouched, wary of approach from either man.

“I’m NOT a slut!” he gritted out.

“I didn’t say you were.” Frank-Jared answered earnestly, voice deep with sincerity.

“Of course you’re not.” Added Danny-Chad. “Your Prince Jensen Ross Ackles... beloved only child of King Alan and Queen Donna of the planet Rell. Your beauty and virginity is pretty well known, Your Highness. Plus, when we interrogated the guard outside, he told us about how Director Crowley tried different methods to woo you into willing your chastity belt to retract, but to no avail. Which was why he had you thrown in this dirty cell. He was hoping a little starvation would change your mind. But it seems we got here in time. You’ve only been in here a day.”

Jensen looked down at his crotch. “My what - chastity belt - what?!”

Danny-Chad frowned at him, not knowing if Jensen was pulling his leg or not. “Yes, your chastity belt. It’s one of the last great inventions by Kripke before he passed. The Draconium metal rests about your waist like a belt unless your virtue is threatened, then it descends and locks around and covers your, um… sensitive bits. No way to get thru without permanently damaging the person trying to get past it.”

Jensen’s hands rested on his waist, feeling the slim band of flexible metal wrapped around his waist under the tattered shift he was dressed in.

Jared didn’t remember any scenario like this in any of the _Space Mercs_ movies. He was literally the damsel in distress in some fucked up version of a fairytale, complete with a chastity belt! Jensen’s head whirled as he struggled to assimilate all the information.

“I really wasn’t trying to get past the belt, Prince Jensen.” Frank-Jared said, quietly. “You just looked like you needed some comfort.”

Jensen instantly knew that the big man was telling the truth. Getting to his feet, Jensen walked back over to Frank-Jared and gestured for him to rise. The man rose to his full height, and Jensen shivered as he was once again reminded of how much bigger the other man was. Caressing Frank-Jared’s jaw with one hand, Jensen urged him to lean down, and Jensen kissed him softly. “I know. I trust you.” He said, softly. Frank-Jared jerked in surprise at the kiss, but then his heated gaze locked Jensen’s clear, crystal green eyes with a rapt expression on his handsome face.

“Excuse me, sorry to interrupt the little soap opera you two have got going, but we’re kinda in a time crunch here. The others should have Crowley by now, and heading back to the rendezvous point. We need to move now!” with that, Danny-Chad opened the cell door, stepped out and began dragging the guard they’d knocked out into the cell. Frank-Jared shot Chad an irritated look before reluctantly stepping away from Jensen and rushing to help Danny move the large, overweight unconscious guard.

After dropping the guard on the thin pallet in the corner, Frank-Jared turned to hold out one hand to Jensen. “Let’s get out of here.” He said.

Jensen calmly took his hand right before the world went white around him.

The white faded around Jensen and he was now standing at the bottom of a ramp that led up to a realistic looking spaceship, complete with a redheaded female robot standing at the top of the ramp sporting a warm smile on her pretty face.

“Greetings, Prince Jensen. My name is Red. I am the protocol droid for the _Ne’er Do Well._ May I officially welcome you aboard, and say how happy I am to…”

“Later, Red.” Frank-Jared interrupted. “This isn’t a social visit. We need to get out of here before the rest of the guards realize he’s gone. Did the other team get Crowley?”

“Yes sir, he’s in holding cell A at this very moment.”

“Good.”

Frank-Jared made to lead Jensen up the ramp by one hand, but Jensen pulled back, shaking his head in confusion. “Wait, wait… what happened? What was that white flash? Was that an interim blur?”

“A what? What white flash?” asked Frank-Jared.

“How did we get here?!”

“Danny and I led you here. Taking out a few stray guards here and there, but we got here safe and sound.”

“Why don’t I remember that?”

Frank-Jared frowned at him, then turned to share a look with Red, who Jensen now realized was played by the actress Felicia Day. Yet another celebrity he admired right in front of him, Jensen’s mind was boggled again, he stood there shaking his head, blinking rapidly, trying to wrap his mind around all that was going on.

“Red?” Frank-Jared said to the droid, his tone rife with concern.

“I am sensing no physical damage, Captain. Maybe the damage is of a mental state? Who knows what Director Crowley subjected him to while he had him? He could also just be in shock.”

“Jensen?” Frank-Jared had turned back to the obviously distraught younger man. “We need to go now. Please board the ship. I promise you’ll be back safe with your family in no time. Come on, sweetheart.”

Red-Felicia’s synthetic eyebrows flew up at the endearment, but that one word is what got Jensen to start moving. Reaching out for Frank-Jared’s hand again, he took it gratefully as the bigger man led him up the ramp and into the ship.

As Frank-Jared led him thru corridor after corridor, moving deeper into the ship, they ran into other crew members. Some Jensen recognized as actors in his world, some he figured were extras. Jensen felt even more lost as they took turn after turn. Finally, they came to a door that looked like any other door they’d passed along the way.

The ship had a familiar feel to it and looked exactly like the ship in the _Space Mercs_ trilogy that he’d watched countless of times, but it was way bigger and a lot more intimidating than it seemed on the big screen.

Frank-Jared palmed the lit panel to the right of the door and the doors slid smoothly into the wall to the left, revealing a sparsely furnished sitting room beyond. 

Following the big man in, Jensen took in the room around him. Beyond the sitting room was a section that was obviously the sleeping area, judging by the narrow bed that occupied the space. Built into the wall above the bed were wall sconces, presumably for reading in bed, and glass-fronted cubbies that held a few books and various other items Jensen didn’t take the time to examine closer. As he continued looking around the room, he noted that every piece of furniture was bolted to the floor. He assumed it was to keep them in place if the ship should lose its gravitational field.

“We had this room prepped for you. Through that white panel is the washroom, the blue panel is your closet. Red took the liberty of getting you some clothing, hope it fits.”

Not knowing what else to do, Jensen walked towards the blue panel and noticed the little square light to the right. Palming it, the blue panel slid open soundlessly. It was a small closet, with different clothing neatly folded into glass cubes. Shoes and accessories to the right in smaller cubes. Remembering scenes from the movies, Jensen laid one hand on a cube that looked like it held shirts, and the front opened as if on a hinge. Reaching in, he pulled out the first shirt on top, a blue long-sleeved shirt in a soft fabric Jensen couldn’t quite place. He soon also had pants, shoes and underwear. Turning to the white panel he opened the door to the washroom, and smiled slightly at the sight of what looked like a normal toilet, sink and shower set, done all in white.

“So if you’re all set, there are some things I need to tend to…” Frank-Jared began, but chopped his words short when Jensen turned back to him with a frantic look on his face.

“No please! Don’t leave me here alone!”

“Prince…”

“Jensen.”

“Okay, Jensen… you’re safe on my ship. No one would dare harm you here.”

“Please Jared… I mean Frank. I… I couldn’t stand to be alone right now.”

“Fine. I’ll wait for you to come back out from your shower and until you settle in and fall asleep. How’s that?”

“Okay.” Jensen agreed, even if he’d rather Frank-Jared didn’t leave at all, Jensen was starting to feel like a needy toddler.

To Jensen, the tall man was like his link back to the real world, and Jensen was afraid of being separated from him.

“Go and clean up, Jensen. I promise I won’t leave.”

Jensen took his shower but it was the fastest shower he’d ever taken in his life, not counting the ten minutes he’d needed to figure out the shower controls. Stepping out, he found a fresh, warm towel waiting for him on the rack. He knew he had forgotten to get a towel before he came in, so it wasn’t hard to reason that it was an automated thing for whenever the shower was activated. Jensen was starting to appreciate this world.

As he bent to slide into the pants he’d chosen, he paused, then straightened back up to run a hand over his chastity belt. With it being retracted, it looked more like a shiny fashion accessory and he had yet to see it in action.

Noticing movement out of the corner of his eye, Jensen whipped around and watched as a full length mirror descended to cover one section of wall space. Standing in front of it, he gazed at his body. He’d never really taken the time to evaluate himself, knowing he was a good looking guy and leaving it at that. He wondered if Jared… Frank… whatever… would like what Jensen saw in the mirror.

His body was pale, but not overly so. Even with working and going to classes indoors most days, Jensen knew he could tan a decent golden color if he was careful with the sunscreen and exposure to the sun. Most of the times he avoided the sun because it caused his freckles to multiply.

His mind turned to what had happened to him in his kitchen, the freak little whirlwind and the old woman’s voice echoing in his mind. If this was really supposed to be a fulfilling of his fantasies, then his biggest fantasy of all was waiting right outside the bathroom door.

Jensen knew what he wanted to do.

Gathering up all his courage, he left his clothing in the bathroom and walked out thru the bedroom and to the archway leading into the sitting room. Frank-Jared had his back turned, examining a framed watercolor on the opposite wall.

“Like what you see?” asked Jensen.

Jared turned around slowly. “It’s a bit bland for my taste, but…” Frank-Jared’s voice chopped off with a strangled gasp as he caught sight of Jensen’s naked form. His eyes widening in shock even as they began to darken with desire. His lush, lower lip trembled as his breathing picked up, patches of red forming high on his cheekbones.

“J-Jensen… what are you doing?”

“Going after what I want. You didn’t answer me, Captain. Do you like what you see?” Jensen asked, even as his mind boggled at how confident and brassy he was acting. He’d never in his life set out to seduce a person, and even if he wasn’t quite sure what he was doing, he refused to chicken out. He has wanted Jared for way too long to pass up this chance.

He walked slowly towards the bigger, older man, Jensen could feel his half-hard cock waving in front of him. It hardened even more when Frank-Jared’s eyes trailed down his body until they stopped and fixed on his cock. Jensen bit back a moan as he watched the bigger man lick his lips, his cock twitching at the sight.

Frank-Jared’s eyes shot back up to Jensen’s, pupils blown so wide there was a mere rim of golden-green color along the edges. “You can’t want me, Jensen. I’m just a merc.” He gritted out. “Your greatest treasure is supposed to go to the one you truly want, the one who truly deserves you. The whole reason for your belt was to ensure that.”

“Do you see my belt engaged right now? No. That’s because you are worthy of so much more than just me. You are an amazingly kind, intelligent and beautiful man. You are what I want. Say you want me, too.”

“Oh god, I do! I’ve wanted you since I first laid eyes on you. But your father… the King… he’ll have my head!”

“This is my decision. I choose you.” Jensen reached up to wrap his arms around the taller man’s neck, pressing himself against the long, lean length of the older man’s body. The moment Jensen touched his lips to Frank-Jared’s, the bigger man deepened the chaste kiss with a wild gasp.

Swallowing down the younger man’s moan and answering with one of his own. His tongue teased along Jensen’s lower lip, asking for entrance. Jensen parted his lips, and he took immediate advantage, his tongue delving in to taste every corner of Jensen’s mouth, his moans getting louder as Jensen pressed closer.

Giving in completely, Frank-Jared ran his hands up Jensen’s sides, then both hands smoothing down his back until they were cupping the smaller man’s perfectly plush ass, squeezing firmly, making Jensen gasp in surprised pleasure.

Wanting to feel every inch of the tall, leanly muscled body he was pressed against, Jensen began pulling at Frank-Jared’s all-black combat gear - whining in frustration as he was deterred by the many buckles and clasps, not able to figure out where to even start.

Frank-Jared chuckled as he brushed Jensen’s hands off and began undoing his clothing himself. Just then, Jensen felt the backs of his legs come in contact with the small bed. He hadn’t even noticed the taller man turning him and maneuvering him towards it, as they were kissing.

With a slight push from Frank-Jared, Jensen tumbled back onto the surprisingly soft, yet narrow bed. He was settling in to enjoy watching Frank-Jared disrobe, when he felt the bed moving beneath him. Shouting in shock, Jensen rolled away from Frank-Jared and off the other side of the bed, landing on his hands and knees with a pained grunt.

The bed had been expanding when he was on it, but with his weight gone, it began retracting back to its original size. There had been no mechanical moving of any kind, the bed was changing its shape on its own, just then Jensen registered the loud guffaws coming from the other side of the room, and peering across the surface of the bed he frowned when he saw Frank-Jared was bent nearly in half, clutching his stomach and laughing fit to burst.

His slight frown turned into a full own scowl as Jensen clambered to his feet. “It’s not funny!” he shouted, annoyed.

“Oh it is! That was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life! The way you just shot off the bed. Did you think it was trying to eat you?”

Jensen huffed angrily, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared over at Jared who only laughed harder upon seeing Jensen’s grumpy look.

“Oh my god, I can’t breathe… that was… that was hilarious! S’like you’ve never been on a Morphy Bed before.”

“I haven’t!”

“How could that be? Oh wait, you’re probably so rich living in your father’s castle you probably don’t need space-saving furniture, huh?”

“I guess.” Was all Jensen could say. Not knowing how he would even explain that in his world, the real world, beds usually stayed the same shape they were bought in, unless they were mechanically altered to expand and retract. This Morphy Bed however had flowed like putty, keeping its firm yet soft feel even as it moved. Yet another thing to remind him that he was ‘no longer Kansas, Toto.’

“In that case, I’m sorry for laughing at you.”

Jensen rolled his eyes, but smiled forgivingly at the bigger man. He lost all interest in the bed as he finally noticed that Frank-Jared had managed to remove all his clothing while Jensen had been distracted. Jensen’s mouth went dry as he took in all the golden tanned skin, the lean musculature moving sinuously below the skin as the big man made his way around the bed, towards Jensen.

“The bed didn’t make you change your mind, did it?” Frank-Jared asked, his eyes darkened with a renewed lust that sent bolts of pleasure shooting through Jensen. His erection had been flagging with the slight scare the bed had caused, but with one look into Frank-Jared’s hungry gaze, his cock chubbed up again in record time. The tip flushed red and the first clear drops of precome oozing from the slit.

Frank-Jared took Jensen’s cock into one large hand and began stroking it firmly, making Jensen’s knees weaken with pure lust. He groaned loudly, as he threw his arms around Jared’s shoulders again, using him to steady himself. Frank-Jared released his cock to wrap his arms around Jensen and lifting off his feet, pulling him flush against the long, heated line of his body. Jensen groaned then craned his head up to grab Frank-Jared’s lips in a heated kiss. The bigger man returned the kiss eagerly, their lips mashing and melding together almost frantically; their tongues dueling for control.

Frank-Jared pulled away first, gasping for some much-needed air. Face flushed, pupils completely blown.

“Let’s both get on the bed so it can adjust at one time for the both of us.”

The moment Frank-Jared laid him on his back and fit his deliciously heavy frame atop Jensen, the bed began moving again. This time, Jensen was able to mostly ignore it as Frank-Jared claimed his mouth for another searing kiss. Jensen gasped in shock again when the bed glowed green for 2 seconds and then went back to the flat white color it had been before.

“What the hell was that?!” Jensen gasped aloud.

“Wow, you really are a virgin. That was the Coupling scan, Jen. It confirmed that we’re both free of STD’s, so we can fuck like bunnies without protection if we wanted to.”

“Wow, that’s pretty handy. Guess that’s one less worry when people hook up.”

Frank-Jared laughed as he gazed adoringly down at Jensen. “God, you’re so fuckin’ cute.”

“I’m not cute.” Jensen grumbled.

Frank-Jared chuckled then dove down to lick and nibble along the side of Jensen’s neck. The smaller man arching his head back to give him room. He moaned softly when Frank-Jared began working his way down Jensen’s chest. He flicked his tongue against one of Jensen’s nipples, making the green-eyed beauty moan and writhe on the bed.

He kissed his way across to the other nipple and gave it the same adoring treatment, Frank-Jared growled softly as he gently gnawed at the dark pink, turgid nipple between his strong, white teeth, working it with his tongue. Jensen was panting hard and pushing up to rub his aching cock against Frank-Jared’s hip, looking for the delicious friction he was craving for.

Frank-Jared worked his way down Jensen’s heaving abdomen, kissing and tracing the golden scatterings of freckles wherever he found them on Jensen’s creamy, soft skin. He dipped his tongue into Jensen’s bellybutton then began licking his way across the inert chastity belt and down the sparse trail of hair that led to Jensen’s groin.

Just as his hot breath ghosted over the head of Jensen’s twitching, aching cock, Jared pulled up and rose to his knees. Jensen cried out in protest. Frank-Jared grinned down at him. “Hang on one second baby. I’ve got you. Gonna make it so good for you.” He said, as he opened one of the glass-doored cubbies above the bed, and began rummaging around in it with one hand.

Jensen groaned, his fingers plucking weakly at Frank-Jared’s waist. “What are you doing? Get back down there.” Jensen demanded, his voice hoarse and raw.

Frank-Jared grinned down at him as he pulled back from the cubbie with a small bottle of lubricant in his hand. He dangled it above Jensen as he smiled wolfishly at the younger man. “So impatient, who would’ve thought you’d be a pushy lil bottom.”

Jensen responded by raising his hips so that his cock poked the underside of Frank-Jared’s jaw. “Please.” He begged, his eyes almost completely black with only a sliver of green around the edges of his pupils.

Giving up on the teasing when he realized he wouldn’t last long if he kept it up, Frank-Jared quickly coated two of his fingers with the lube and pushed his way between Jensen’s sweetly bowed legs. His wet fingers worked their way over Jensen’s balls, rubbing along the perineum until they came to Jensen’s tightly furled, quivering hole. Just as Frank-Jared began to push one well lubed finger in past the first muscle, he sucked the head of Jensen’s weeping cock into his mouth, letting his tongue massage the bundle of nerves just under the mushroom-like head.

“OH FUCKIN’ FUCKITY FUCK!” Jensen wailed as his hips involuntarily shot up.

Frank-Jared managed to pull back in time to avoid choking on Jensen’s dick, but he quickly pushed the smaller man’ hips back down with one hand, even as his other began pumping his finger in and out of Jensen’s fluttering hole.

Keeping a tight grip on Jensen’s hip, the older man began to work his mouth up and down Jensen’s cock in quick motions, sucking hard with every slide up. Every now and then he’d pull off to trace the large vein on the underside, nuzzling into Jensen’s soft skin, working his way down until he could suck and nibble at Jensen’s ball sac. Jensen was a babbling mess. He’d reached up to grab two handfuls of his own short hair, his back arching as he pressed his head back into the mattress, his head thrashing side to side.

Watching Jensen coming apart set off a tingling in Frank-Jared’s extremities, and he knew he’d have to work faster if he wanted to be inside Jensen when he came. Sucking Jensen’s cock into his mouth again, Frank-Jared worked it deep, until he was swallowing against the head. At the same time, he slipped a second finger into Jensen and began scissoring and twisting his fingers. Jensen gasped softly at the slight burn, but screamed and nearly bucked out of Frank-Jared’s hold when the big man crooked his long fingers inside of Jensen and almost immediately found Jensen’s prostate.

“HOLY HELL! OH MY FUCKING FUCKITY FUCKER!” Jensen screamed.

Frank-Jared chuckled, as he pulled his fingers nearly completely out in order to add more lube. As he pushed back into Jensen’s welcoming heat, he added a third finger.

“Nnngghh Jare – Frank… that fuckin’ burns! But don’t stop, feels so fuckin’ good.”

“What a mouth you’ve got on you. It’ll get better, sweetheart. I promise. Trust me.”

Jensen couldn’t believe it was finally happening. He was finally going to have sex with Jared Pada-freakin-lecki! He knew this wasn’t the real Jared, and then again it was. Jensen no longer cared. This fantasy fulfillment adventure will probably be his one and only chance to be with his celebrity crush, so Jensen was not going to miss out on it.

Frank-Jared suddenly pulled his fingers out of Jensen, even as he released his cock and sat up on his haunches – Jensen’s legs loosely wrapped around his waist. Jensen made sounds of disapproval, not liking the sudden emptiness inside him. He froze when he felt something blunt and much bigger than a finger nudging at his hole. Craning his neck, he watched as Frank-Jared slid the head of his massive cock over the tight pink bud of Jensen’s hole. The big man looked back up at Jensen, catching his gaze just as he used his thumb to push the large, flared head of his lubed up cock past the virgin muscle. Jensen’s eyes slammed shut, even as his mouth dropped open in a soundless moan. His head dropped back onto the bed as his arms spread wide on the bed. He felt the bed adjusting to his grasping hands giving him something to clench his hands in.

“Oh baby.” Frank-Jared moaned as the tight heat of Jensen closed over his cock. Leaning forward, he propped himself on his elbows over Jensen as the rest of his weight was braced on his knees. He ran one hand over Jensen’s face, smoothing back his hair and lovingly caressing his cheek. “Okay?” he asked.

Jensen nodded jerkily. Swallowing nervously, as the big man began pushing in slowly, Jensen gritted his teeth against the burning pain spreading from his hole and through his body. He moaned in discomfort. “Ah, fuck!” he groaned. Jensen panted heavily, concentrating on his breathing as Frank-Jared continued inching in slowly, until finally, finally… he was all the way in. Jensen’s breaths came in sharp gasps, as he stared up at the ceiling - unbidden tears welling and runing down the sides of his face.

Frank-Jared kissed the tracks of tears, savoring the salty taste even as he struggled to remain still. Trying to give Jensen time to adjust.

“You okay, sweetheart? It always hurts the first time. But it can also be really good. Do you trust me?”

Jensen nodded, pulling his gaze away from the ceiling, Jensen gazed trustingly into Frank-Jared’s eyes, unconscious of the loving, adoring look he was giving the older man. Jared felt as if he’d been punched in the gut with that one look. He traced every inch of Jensen’s face with wonder. “You’re so beautiful.” He said.

Jensen flushed, then reached up to pull Frank-Jared down for a gentle kiss. Frank-Jared pulled back after a couple of seconds. “Who is this Jared that is your favorite?”

Jensen was at a loss as to how to explain. “Um, he’s an actor.” He said, lamely. Not thinking clearly enough for a witty answer, seeing as how the big man was still firmly embedded inside him.

“You mean like a Vidscreen player who performs stories for entertainment on one of the more advanced planets?” Frank-Jared asked, a frown forming on his face. “And you dream about him? He is your ideal man?”

“No, well sort of. It’s just… he’s not real, Frank. In this world, he doesn’t exist. He’s just a dream.”

Frank-Jared frowned at the way Jensen phrased his statement, not knowing what to make of it, he dismissed it. “And I look like this dream of yours?” he asked.

“Exactly like him.”

“Well then, you can call me Jared.”

“Really? But… but why?”

Jared began to move by pulling slowly out of Jensen, stealing Jensen’s breath at the new delicious dragging sensation.

Jared leaned down to catch Jensen’s lips in a scorching kiss as he changed his angle and then pushed back in firmly, the head of his cock brushing up against Jensen’s prostate, making the younger man shout out in pleasure.

Pulling back from the kiss, Jared smiled wickedly down at a dazed and wondering Jensen. “Because, I would like to be your dream.” He said, his hips picking up speed until he was plunging in and out of Jensen in a torturous rhythm that had Jensen seeing stars.

“Oh God… you already are! You’re a fuckin’ dream come true!” Jensen groaned, as he wrapped his arms and legs around his lover, holding on for dear life as Jared began pounding into him. His breath punching out of him with every push.

Jensen’s cock was pressed firmly between their bodies, the flowing precome making the space it was in a warm, slippery cocoon of friction and pressure. Jensen felt a tingling growing in his toes and fingers, it traveled to his lower belly, pooling, expanding – until he threw his head back and shouted Jared’s name. His whole body stiffening in Jared’s large arms.

At the feel of Jensen’s channel clamping down on him, Jared shouted as his release crashed over him faster than he’d expected. With a couple more jerky thrusts, he collapsed atop Jensen, his breath gusting in and out in loud gasps, his sweat slicked body trembling.

Jared’s face was pushed up against the side of Jensen’s neck. He kissed the sweaty skin gently, a smile of pure contentment on his lips. Jensen could feel the smile on his skin, and couldn’t hold back the one also forming on his lips. His eyelids drooped as he felt a lassitude coming over him. He clasped Jared to him as his vision started to darken. The edges of the black was like the white flash earlier, only slower, and though Jensen fought to keep it back so that he could enjoy the warm weight of Jared a little longer, the black kept coming and soon Jensen’s eyes closed completely, giving in, sleep dragging him under.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Jensen came to with a loud groan. His entire body was aching, and at first he couldn’t explain to himself just why that was. Then his eyes snapped open as everything came rushing back. He was back on his kitchen floor with piles of random pieces of paper lying around him, the shirt his mother had sent him still wrapped in plastic lying on the floor beside him.

As he sat up, he moaned as pressure was put on his ass. A deep ache making him flinch and shift onto one butt cheek to relieve the pressure. That’s when he realized he was completely naked. Avoiding the plastic bundle, Jensen rolled to his knees and used the counter to help him get to his feet.

Staggering to his bathroom, Jensen flicked on the overhead light as he made his way to the sink. Turning on the tap, he cupped his trembling hands under the cool running water and splashed his face with it. Wiping what water he could from his face, he straightened to look at his reflection in the mirror above the sink.

_Was it all just a dream? Did all of that really happen._

His eyes widened in shock as he spotted the livid bruises, no, the hickeys on his neck and along his collarbone. His lips were also swollen as if just recently kissed. Remembering the pain he’d felt earlier when he’d tried to sit up, Jensen swung to the bathroom door and closed it so he could see himself in the long mirror attached to the back.

He stared in shock at the scattering of hickeys that ran down his body and the finger shaped bruises on his hips and thighs. But what really made him gasp in shock and amazement was the beautiful metal belt that was around his waist. Running the fingers of one hand wonderingly across the surface of the strange metal, Jensen looked back at the mirror; staring into his own wide, shocked gaze.

“Holy shit…”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, so I'm back. I told y'all I would be, and here I am. With a brand new chapter, too boot! :D  
> I'm so sorry for the long wait, but at least it looks like my muse is back on board, again.  
> Thanks to all my friends who wouldn't stop pestering me to continue... y'all can quit poking me now! :D Jennie, Cynthia, Teresa & of course my girl, Mari.

The next morning, the bruises were darker and Jensen couldn’t help but limp slightly as he walked about his apartment preparing for the day. The deep ache in his bowels and the tenderness of his rim made his cock twitch as he recalled exactly why he was sore down there. He swore as he felt his face heating up. _I got my cherry popped by a fictional character, and now I’m blushing like a new bride the night after her honeymoon.  
Geez loser, get a hold of yourself!_ He glanced down at his chest to check if he’d started growing breasts. But even with the aches and pains, Jensen couldn’t deny the feeling of contentment and satisfaction that buzzed through his veins.

As he poured milk over the bowl of cereal he’d prepared for himself, Jensen wracked his brain with how to get in contact with the old lady. That voice he’d heard in his head yesterday was undeniably hers, and what had happened to him with Frank-Jared, despite how outrageously impossible it had to be, still felt real. Also, the evidence on his body along with the beautiful belt that he had no idea how to remove, was also undeniable proof that he hadn’t just dreamed it all or had a psychotic break or anything like that.

As he was lifting his second spoonful of cereal to his mouth, his hand froze as his eyes flared wide. Dropping the spoon back into his bowl, ignoring the small splash of milk that spattered the counter, Jensen scrambled to grab the cordless phone off its wall mount, and hit the speed dial number for his work. He glanced up at the clock and sighed in relief when he saw it well after 10am – the time the video side of the shop opened for business.

Milo’s Uncle Marko answered on the third ring. “Good Morning, V’s Video!”

“Uncle Marko!”

“Milo?”

“No, it’s Jensen.”

“Oh Jensen… it’s only been one day, boy! Don’t tell me you’re not enjoying your time off and you wanna get back to work?!”

“No, no… I appreciate the time off. I just need a favor.”

“Okay.”

“Can you go into our member files on the computer and give me the address for a woman by the name of Lovewell? First name, Mala or Malia.” Jensen had finally remembered that he’d rented some DVD’s to the old woman, and it was a member’s only shop, so her information had to be on record.

“Ok, gimme a second.”

Jensen traced the pattern of the minute cracks on the counter top as he waited. He didn’t know why he hadn’t remembered she was a customer of the shop until now, he guessed after all that had happened to him was enough of an excuse to give himself a break.

“Huh.” Said Marko, as he returned to the phone.

“What?”

“There’s no address, no renting history, no nothing.”

“Nothing?!”

“Well just the name – Malia Lovewell… and a phone number.”

“Fine. Gimme the number.”

“Jensen, what is this about? Did she fail to return movies? Does she owe us money?”

“No, no… this has nothing to do with the shop, I promise. I can’t really go into it right now, can I just get the number, please?”

Five minutes later, Jensen dialed the number, waiting anxiously for someone… anyone… to pick up. Three rings, four… finally, someone answers.

“Jensen Ackles.” Says the familiar, rich voice of the old woman. “Took you long enough to call me. Hasn’t your Mama ever told you that it is rude to keep a lady waiting?”

“Ms. Lovewell?”

“You have questions, I take it?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Do you know where the House of Chin Fe is?”

“The Chinese restaurant on Maple?”

“The very one. Meet me there in fifteen minutes. Bring your wallet.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m hungry, Jensen Ackles. Treat an old lady to lunch.”

Jensen frowned at the phone. “Um, okay. I’ll be there.”

“We will be waiting.”

It wasn’t until after she’d hung up on him and he was rushing into his bedroom to get dressed and to grab his keys and wallet that he paused. “We?” he said aloud.

\---------------------------------------------

Glancing at his watch just as he entered the restaurant, Jensen noted he’d actually made it in just under twelve minutes. And he hadn’t needed to drive fast or break any driving regulations, either.

He spotted the old Gypsy woman at a corner table sitting with a black-haired woman who had her back to Jensen. Lovewell spotted him and Jensen was a little surprised at the smile of pure joy that deepened the creases in her face, giving her a beatific glow. She raised her hand to crook one finger at him, calling him over. The black-haired woman turned to look and Jensen’s step faltered as he recognized Rachel Miner. The slightly older woman smiled a genuine welcome at him, and Jensen couldn’t help but smile back.

He had visited her in the hospital and was sad to learn that she had no surviving family and was so new to town that she also had no friends to visit or spend time with her. Jensen had made it a point to stay as long as he could, even after the hospital had released her the next day, he’d called her at home to make sure she’d got home okay. He already counted her as a friend and it felt as if she thought of him in the same way.

“Sit down, dear boy. Don’t continue to make an old lady strain her neck looking up at you.”

An amused smile curled the corners of Jensen’s lips as he took the empty seat beside Rachel. He looked at the two women, giving Rachel a questioning gaze to which she only shrugged. Turning his attention back to the old Gypsy, he saw that she was completely engrossed in studying the restaurant’s extensive menu.

“Mrs. Lovewell…” Jensen started, but stopped when the old lady tsked at him.

“Not yet, Mr. Ackles. First, we eat.”

Rachel and Jensen stared in awe as the old woman called the waitress over and began ordering dish after dish. Seeing Rachel’s wide-eyed expression, Jensen couldn’t help but laugh.

\--------------------------------------

Almost an hour later, Rachel and Jensen were again exchanging incredulous looks as the old lady picked at what was left on the myriad of plates that had been delivered to their table.

She was happily spearing the last shrimp dumpling when Rachel nervously cleared her throat. “Mrs. Lovewell… please, we have so many questions.”

The old woman sighed resignedly as she popped the morsel in her mouth and reached for her cup of honeyed tea. After a couple of sips, she signaled the waitress again and she and a young busboy began to quickly clear the table.

“Pack up any that is left for Jensen, Maureen.” she said, to the waitress. “A young bachelor who can’t cook is sure to appreciate it tomorrow.”

Jensen had to fight back a snort of indignation, but he still muttered. “I _can_ cook.”

Lovewell smiled at Jensen affectionately. “Microwaving pizza and frozen dinners, French toast and grilled cheese sandwiches is not cooking, dear.”

“It is, if it’s _damn good_ French toast and grilled cheese.” Jensen returned, with an impudent smile.

Lovewell and Rachel laughed.

“Okay, so down to business. I take it both of you have had some big changes in your life?”

Rachel and Jensen both nodded.

Curious, Jensen turned to Rachel. “What happened to you?”

Rachel frowned briefly, obviously at a loss as to how to begin. “I, uh… well, I have MS. Multiple Sclerosis. It’s a nerve disorder.”

She noticed the look of instant sorrow on Jensen’s face and hurried to explain further. “I was in remission. I was first diagnosed in my mid-20s, and had some paralysis in my lower body, and after semi-recovery from that, I’ll never get back full strength or responsiveness in my legs. But I learned to work with it. Well, nothing else happened for years. But then two weeks ago, I uh… noticed that I was seeing spots. Little dancing spots in my vision – and they were getting worse almost every day.”

“Oh no.” Jensen murmured, reaching out to take one of Rachel’s hands in his. Even though he hadn’t known the woman for long, Jensen felt a strong connection to her and he found himself really caring about the strong, beautiful woman in front of him.

Rachel smiled tremulously, grateful for the obvious concern from the young man. “The day we met, when those men tried to take Natalie…”

Jensen noted the tightening of Lovewell’s mouth, the slight narrowing of her eyes. Then turned his attention back to Rachel as she continued her story.

“I was returning from the doctor’s that day. He said the damage to my eyes was still advancing, and he was predicting full blindness by next month.” Jensen squeezed her hand. “But then today, I went to see him again to go over some new treatments and he examined me again.”

Rachel paused as her voice cracked. Her hand trembling in Jensen’s. “He told me my eyes were getting better. Not just better, but unbelievably better. He called it a miracle. That if it continued at the same rate, I’ll have my full vision back by Monday or Tuesday.”

“Rachel, that’s amazing!” Jensen beamed, squeezing her hand gently.

“That’s not all.” She said, turning her head to look at Lovewell, her gaze intense. “He also said that the scarring on the nerves that had been damaged the last time I was affected is gone. My nerves look like nothing had ever happened to them. I won’t need my glasses once my eyes fully heal from this recent bout, and the points of numbness in my lower body and legs are completely gone.”

Lovewell smiled at Rachel. Reminiscent of a cat that had gotten the cream.

“You did this, didn’t you? You created this… this… miracle!” Rachel said, eyes wide with awe.

“You did it, my dear. I may have cast the spell, but if you hadn’t been worthy, it would’ve never worked.”

“Wait, what… a spell? As in magic?” Jensen interrupted, Lovewell nodded. “I find that hard to believe, ma’am. No offense. But magic?”

“Even after all you’ve seen, you don’t believe?” the old lady asked, her expression amused, her tone patient.

“Maybe you slipped me some kind of drug, a hallucinogen of some kind.”

“Then how do you explain the belt? And the other proof? The physical ones?”

Jensen couldn’t help the flush that spread up his neck, turning his ears and cheeks red with embarrassment. “I don’t know.” Jensen muttered. “But everything I saw there… it was all from a movie. Well, not all of it. Me, for one.”

“A movie?” asked Rachel, confused. “Wait, did something happen to you, too?”

Jensen nodded.

“What movie? What exactly happened to you?”

Jensen coughed, trying to hide his embarrassment. Finally, he sighed and looked down at the stable as he answered. “Space Mercs.” He mumbled.

“Space Mercs?! I love those movies! Jared Padalecki is amazing, and God, is he hot!” Rachel paused as she finally noted Jensen’s blush intensifying.

She blinked in confusion when she noticed that his ears were now a bright red. “I’m confused.” She said.

“Yesterday…” Jensen began to explain, stopping and starting as he tried to find the words. “This mini-twister thing… like a big dust devil… came into my apartment and, uh, sorta swept me up.”

“That was the spell, dear.” Lovewell added. Rachel stared incredulously for a second at the older woman, but then turned back to Jensen.

“Swept you up?”

“Yeah, it kinda flew across the room at me, caught me in its center and then I think I… uh, I fainted. Or passed out… not sure.”

“Really?! What happened after, are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”

“No, no… I’m fine-ish.” Jensen grimaced, as he shifted in his chair, the soreness still evident. “I just had a really close encounter of the, um, freaky kind.”

Rachel then sits quietly as Jensen finally got past his embarrassment and told her everything. Glossing over the sex part, of course, and yet even then, Rachel got a dreamy look on her face, sighing softly as she stared off into the air for a couple of seconds.

She shook her head and gave her full attention back to Jensen as he told about waking up naked on his kitchen floor and finding his apartment a mess.

“I didn’t even know he was gay!” 

Of all the things she could’ve said, that was th last thing Jensen expected. He eyed her worriedly even as he answered her. “He’s bi, actually.”

“He’s not.” Lovewell chimed in. “That was just something his public relations team released to keep the fans happy. Mr. Padalecki only longs for the schlong.”

“MRS. LOVEWELL!” Rachel nearly screamed with laughter.

“How could you even know that?!” Jensen spluttered. “I mean… I… I’ve been a fan of his for many years. He’s always come off as being into both. He’s even had a few girlfriends.”

“Dear, he’s an actor. I’m sure he can pretend to be in a relationship with a woman while in actuality he’s only attracted to men. Trust me.”

Jensen bit his bottom lip, trying to hold back a pleased smile, but failing. He frowned slightly as he looked back at the old gypsy. “But HOW could you know? I mean, I’d be, uh… okay with him being bi, too. But when a person you like is bi it just kinda doubles the competition, ya know?” Jensen laughed at himself, then. “What the hell am I talking about? It’s not like any of this is real, or that a big star like Jared would even be interested in someone like me.”

“Why wouldn’t he be, dear? You are smart, caring, brave… not to mention quite beautiful.” Said the old lady, giving him a wink at the end.

Biting his lip again, Jensen thanked Lovewell as graciously as he could, but desperately wanted a topic change. He’d never fully appreciated his good looks. All it had done was to bring him many a beating, and near constant teasing by his peers while growing up, to where it had become a habit of his to play his looks down as much as he could. A survival technique he’d grown used to over the years.

“All I’m saying is that Jared is a big name actor, a mulit-millionaire who probably has supermodels and famous people throwing themselves at him every single day. I wouldn’t even be a blip on his gaydar.”

Rachel smiled softly at him. Reaching out, she took his hand in hers and squeezed softly. “I know I haven’t known you long, but you’re wrong. I truly believe that if anyone, even Jared Padalecki, got a chance to meet you and got to know you, they’d be hard pressed NOT to fall in love with you.”

Jensen smiled gratefully at Rachel. He then straightened in his chair and waved his hand decisively through the air. “Anyways…” he said, determined to move on and finish asking Lovewell the remaining questions he still had. “Real or not, it was freakin’ amazing, but I wasn’t all that thrilled being the D.I.D in that scenario. No matter how hot…” he paused to wink at Rachel. “…it was, but I’m just finding it hard to believe it really happened.”

“The D-I-D?”

“The Damsel In Distress.” Jensen answered, with a blush and a smirk.

Rachel threw her head back and laughed, Jensen joining her. As his laughter wound down he noticed that the old gypsy was no longer at her seat. His laughter chopped off as he shot to his feet and began scanning the restaurant. “Wait, where’d she go?!”

Rachel’s smile dropped from her face as she too got to her feet and looked around. “She was right here!”

Jensen finally noticed the piece of folded paper propped up against the old woman’s tea cup. Snatching it up, Rachel leaned in to read, even as Jensen began to read aloud.

> My dears… thank you for the lovely lunch. Now, I know you both have a lot of questions and they will be answered in time. For now, it is best you don’t know too much about what is happening. Believe me, for this to all work I can’t reveal too much. But today was about giving you two someone to share with. You two are already shaping up to be amazing friends, and you will both need each other before this is all over.
> 
> My only advice for now is just to enjoy yourselves. Have your adventures, accept the blessings, indulge in all that you’ve dreamed of doing; sing, dance, fight, make love… follow your hearts and find love. You are both truly deserving.
> 
> ~M~
> 
> PS: After your next adventure, come see me at the camp.

“Can you believe this?” Jensen turned to look at Rachel. “I never even got to ask her about the belt.”

“What belt?”

“I can’t show you here. Let’s pay the bill and get out of here.”

They were soon leaving the restaurant, and since Rachel had come by bus, Jensen offered to give her a ride back to her place. Pulling up to a modern condo complex, Rachel invited Jensen in where they could talk in private and so that Jensen could show her his belt.

After explaining to her what it was supposed to do, he lifted his shirt and tugged the waist of his track pants down just enough so that she could see the belt.

Rachel gasped as she caught sight of the beautifully designed belt that seemed to have an inner golden glow to it that Rachel couldn’t tear her eyes from. She took a step closer, leaning over to prop her hands on her knees as she peered closer at the belt. “You can’t take it off and you’ve never actually seen it work?”

“Yeah.”

“Can I try?”

“It’s no use, Rachel. I’ve tried everything. I even tried cutting it off, nothing worked.”

“Come on, just let me try!” before he could say any more, Rachel reached out and took a firm hold of the belt, giving it an experimental tug with one hand. Jensen frowned in annoyance as her tug caused him to stumble.

The belt flashed white, Rachel cried out in pain and snatched her hand away.

Jensen gasped then rose up on tiptoe, widening his stance a bit as he felt the belt moving. He stared wide eyed as he held the waist of his track pants away from his body; watching as the belt seemed to liquefy then run down his lower body, molding to every dip and curve until Jensen was left with what looked like a softly glowing metallic pair of briefs in the exact same style as the actual briefs he had on below, except for a little difference.

There was a much slimmer version of the belt still around his waist, thin bands running down the side of his hips connecting with the flimsy looking briefs. But as Rachel unconsciously reached out to check the strength of the material it flashed yellow, making her snatch her hand back.

Rachel turned to look up at Jensen, her face a picture of shock and awe. “Ok, what the hell just happened?”

“You activated my belt! Now how the hell am I supposed to take this off when I need the restroom?” Jensen shouted, frustrated, tugging at the material hard, trying to see if he could rip it off now that it was thinner and shaped to him like cloth.

Nothing. Not even a slight tear.

Jensen shouted in anger then flopped down on Rachel’s couch. “Great going, Miss Handsy.”

“What did I do?! It’s not like I was trying to steal your virtue for God’s sake! I just wanted to help you!”

“No means no, Rach.” Jensen said, fighting back a grin.

“Haha… very funny. Can I see it at least? The whole thing?”

“No… it’s like… it’s like underwear now. I’m not showing you my underwear!”

“Stop being such a prude. Not like you have anything I haven’t seen before! Jensen, let me see! Please!”

“Fine!” Jensen huffed, rolling his eyes as he got back to his feet, he then quickly stripped his pants halfway down his thighs, lifted his shirt with both hands to the middle of his chest, then shuffled in a complete circle. Coming back around until he was facing her again, Jensen dropped his shirt and bent to pull his pants back. “There… you’ve seen it.”

“No, wait!” she grabbed his arm to stop him from pulling his pants up and this time his underwear and attached belt flashed a bright orange. Rachel gasped as she not only snatched her hand back, she also took a couple of hasty steps back from Jensen. 

“Did you see that?!” she cried, in awe.

“Yeah, you pissed off my underwear.”

“No, the color is changing. Went from a white flash to orange. It’s like a progressive warning system. It zapped me with a stinging electrical shock the first time. I bet if I were to touch it again it would probably hurt a lot more or even do some damage to me.”

“I’m never getting laid again.” Jensen moaned.

“No I think it only activates if someone other than you tries to take it off or if someone makes unwanted advances on you. See?” She ran her hand up the inside of his thigh, making him jump in surprise and this time the belt and underpants flashed a menacing ruby red. “But, if I do this…”

Rachel stepped away from him and sat on the overstuffed loveseat nearby. Folding her hands neatly in her lap. “I promise I won’t touch you again without your permission, Jensen. Do you trust me to keep that promise?”

“Uh, yeah… of course I do, Rach.” He jumped and swore as he felt the belt moving again. Pulling the waist of his pants away from his body again, Jensen watched as the strange gold material, flowed across and up his body, towards his waist. Jensen could feel a slight warm tingle where it flowed over his skin as it returned itself back to the beautiful yet innocuous belt it had seemed to be earlier – until nothing was covering his genitals and ass but a normal pair of his navy blue Tommy briefs.

“Mmm… Nice.” Rachel said from right next to him, making him jump slightly, having not heard her return to his side. He felt his belt pulse slightly but it kept its form even as Rachel peered down inside his pants.

Jensen released his waistband, allowing it to snap back in place, cutting off Rachel’s view. She pouted playfully at him as she turned to throw herself back into the loveseat.

“I think it’s cool that you got an amazing gift like that. Can you imagine how much something like that would be worth?”

“I’m not gonna sell it!”

“Of course not, I was just saying. Besides, have you figured out how to take it off yet?”

Jensen grimaced, then gave her a half smile. “Nope, I just hope it doesn’t electrocute me when I shower.”

Rachel laughed, getting up, she made her way into her galley style kitchen. “Sorry for my bad manners, didn’t even offer you a drink. I’ve got water, and beer, and I could make coffee…?”

“Coffee would be great.” Jensen said as he walked over to scan the titles of books in the small bookshelf near her television. “Are you studying business? I see a lot of management books mixed in with a lot of cat and dog books. Do you own a pet store?” He turned to look back at Rachel as she puttered around her kitchen. 

“No.” she laughed, filling a metal coffee pot with water from the sink. “I’m taking some college courses on business management because I want to start up a Rescue shelter for abandoned and abused dogs. I wanna do what that lady in Florida is doing, hiring ex-cons to care for pit bulls as a way of giving them both a new chance at life? Only I wanna help abandoned and abused children to find their way as well.”

Jensen smiled admiringly at her as she came to stand in the entry way of her kitchen holding a package of iced oatmeal cookies in one hand and a blue plate in the other. “That is amazing, Rach.”

She smiled slightly, shrugged then turned back into the kitchen. “I’ve tried getting a loan to start up the shelter, tried looking for investors, but so far, no luck.” Setting the plate on the counter, she began to arrange the cookies on the plate.

“I didn’t have that great of a childhood, myself. I just want to give others a chance I never got. Y’know?” she looked up at Jensen, smile growing as he nodded in understanding. “Anyways, enough about me. I wanna know more about your porn movie with Jared Padalecki.”

She laughed as Jensen huffed and sputtered, choking slightly on the cookie in his mouth.

He looked up when her laughter choked off to see Rachel standing with one cookie halfway to her mouth, staring wide-eyed at something behind Jensen.

“Rachel?”

“You said the big gust of wind that came into your apartment looked like a mini-twister, right?” she asked, numbly.

“Yes, why…” eyes widening, Jensen whipped around in his seat just as the aforementioned small, yet strong cyclone burst through the French doors that led out to Rachel’s tiny balcony. It rushed across the room straight at Jensen; throwing up loose papers and items into the air. All Jensen could do was try to shield his face from the debris, a startled shout escaping him as he was snatched from his seat and pulled into the center of the vortex.

“JENSEN!” he heard Rachel scream, but didn’t have the energy to call back. The darkness was descending in his mind, his limbs lax and useless, his head lolling weakly from side to side, as he revolved slowly in the center of the cyclone. As before, he blacked out before the unnatural force set him gently on the floor.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this fic is actually growing longer than I'd originally planned. Hoping no one is upset about it. This adventure Jensen is now on will be in two parts. Curse me and my need for details! LOL Still hoping you'll all stick with me.

**A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER (BY JENSEN’S RECKONING)…**

This was definitely not the adventure Jensen had signed up for. So okay, there was no actual sign-up sheet and he couldn’t claim to know what fantasies or adventures the old lady had in store for him, but still… this has got to be a joke.

Jensen growled to himself as he shooed yet another baby goat away from the cliff’s edge.

He’d been rudely awakened with a nudge to his backside by an elderly, smiley woman who kept calling him ‘dear’. After a light breakfast of what tasted like oatmeal and milk, he’d been herded out of the rustic little house and taken to a large pen that held about twenty goats; including the six annoying little hoppy goat babies – kids? - that Jensen was sure had to be the bastard children of the devil himself.

The adults seemed to know it was feeding time and had settled into grazing on the thick, luxuriant grass on the mountain slope with little encouragement, but the babies’ only goal in life seemed to be annoying the hell out of Jensen. Within an hour after reaching the pastures that dotted the mountainside, Jensen was sweaty, starving and ready to pull his hair out by the roots.

Just as he was eyeing the sack of food he’d been handed as he was leaving with the goats, the little black goat with the white stripe down the middle of its face began hopping towards the edge again and Jensen was after him like a shot, bellowing a few choice curses and threats at it.

“YOU LITTLE BASTARD! I swear to God, I’m gonna either shave you bald and roast you… believe you, me, I’m hungry enough to do it - or I’m gonna throw you off that fuckin’ cliff myself. Get back here!”

Just as Jensen snatched the little nuisance up into his arms, a loud, amused laugh rang out behind him. “Does your Mam know how close she is to having her prized herd tossed willy-nilly off the mountain?”

Whipping around with the baby goat held to his chest, its spindly legs kicking as it squirmed to get free; Jensen stared up and then up some more at the three knights on large horses.

Jensen quickly got over his surprise, having expected Jared to show up eventually, huffed as he hitched the goat higher, tightening his grip on it. “Finally! Where have you been?!” he said, scowling up at the tall, shaggy haired knight seated atop the biggest of the three horses.

Jared cocked his head at Jensen, his dimpled smile melting into a confused frown. “I’m sorry, do I know you?”

Before Jensen could answer, the smallest of the knights kicked his horse forward until he was level with Jared, stopping to glare down at Jensen. “How DARE you speak to Dragon Lord Jared in such a fashion, peasant! Drop to your knees and beg for his mercy this instant or it will be your own carcass that will be tossed off this mountain!”

Sweaty, achy and hungry, Jensen locked eyes with the squinty blonde knight, his own green eyes flashing with anger. “Well I would, but as you can see I’ve got my hands full.”

“YOU STILL DARE TO BE DEFIANT?!” the knight roared even as he swung off his horse and dropped to the ground with angry, stiff motions. Resting one hand on the pommel of the sword strapped to his belt, he stomped over to Jensen and pointed to the ground in front of him with his other hand. “Drop down and kneel or I will make sure you have no legs to stand on for the rest of your life!”

Unafraid, Jensen rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Fine! Here, hold this.” He stepped forward and shoved the baby goat into the arms of the dumbstruck blonde knight, then stepped to the side and bowed his head as he knelt on the rocky ground, facing Jared and the other knight, who was struggling to hold back his laughter; his handsome face reddening with the effort. 

“Oh great Lord, please forgive me my disrespect of your Royal Assed-ness… Happy?” he asked through gritted teeth, glaring green daggers at Jared through his lashes, even as the blonde knight choked out a gasp of outrage.

Jared stared at Jensen in shock even as the black-haired knight lost his battle and broke out into a loud, infectious, hearty roar of laughter that startled a few nearby goats and echoed up and down the valley. Jensen watched, tightening his lips to hold back his own laughter, as Jared’s stoic expression slowly crumbled until he was laughing just as hard as the black-haired knight.

Jensen studied them as they laughed. He wasn’t sure why the blonde knight had called him Prince Jared, when in the movie his character’s name had been Garret. And as he thought harder, he recalled that Chad had also been cast in this movie as in ‘Space Mercs’ and the black-haired knight was definitely Christian Kane, another regular in Jared’s movies.

The moment Jensen had left the hovel he’d woken up in that morning, he’d recognized the adventure he’d been dropped in, and with the appearance of Jared and the title Dragon Lord, Jensen was a little relieved to be proven right. At least, now he had a slight sense of what he was in for.

‘Dragonrider’ was one of the rare Padalecki movies that had not done well at the box office. Critics bashed it for being poorly written and predictable, especially with the comedic elements in the story. The only redeeming factors had been Jared’s performance and that the knight in shining armor that he portrayed was different from most fairy tale based movies. The character really was a Royal Ass; more of an anti-hero than the regular, vanilla version common in stories like this one. Lord Garret or Jared as it seemed in this case, was an egotistical, controlling bastard in the movie. Given whatever he wanted or taking it by force.

Which was proven rather quickly when the blonde knight –Chad- dropped the baby goat and drew his sword. He took a step towards Jensen with rage twisting his face, Jensen dropped back onto his ass and tried to scrabble backwards away from the irate knight.

Before he could swallow past the lump of fear that had risen up in his throat to choke him, Jared’s authoritative voice rang out. “Sir Chad! Hold your sword this instant!”

Chad froze in his tracks, but continued to glare murderously down at Jensen.

Jared moved his horse closer to Jensen until he was right beside him, looking down at his prone body with darkening hazel eyes. Having just recently experienced being in the lusty arms of a certain space captain, Jensen recognized the look of burgeoning lust in the Dragon Lord’s eyes, and he gasped softly at the twitch of interest his cock gave inside his rustic, coarsely woven trousers. Jensen blinked as Jared’s eyes flickered red and yellow – like a flame was burning behind his exotic tip-tilted eyes.

-Dragon Lord, right.- he thought.

“I like this one.” Jared said, voice deep, sending shivers down Jensen’s spine. “He is mine.”

Sighing gustily, Chad sheathed his sword in one fluid, practiced motion then leaned down to grab Jensen’s wrists as he raised his hands in defense. Despite being taller, the slightly older man had more mass and muscle, and he easily dragged Jensen to his feet. He then grabbed Jensen by the waist with both hands and lifted him up to Jared who looped one long, muscled arm around his waist and deposited him on the saddle in front of him.

The transfer was done so swiftly that Jensen was left a little breathless. The firm, warm lips that took his possessively stole what little breath he had, leaving him gasping and glassy eyed as Jared pulled away and stared down at Jensen with a possessive gleam in his eye.

“I recognize you, little beauty. You’re the cheesemaker’s son.” The Dragon Lord growled in Jensen’s ear, sending shivers down his spine. Jared then turned his horse and galloped towards the trail Jensen had used to get up the mountain – Jensen held helplessly, sitting sidesaddle between his massive arms; legs draped over one large, muscular thigh and body pressed up to a hard, mail covered chest. “Now, you are mine.”

He looked back up the way they’d come, and he saw the baby black goat trying to chase after them, but Jensen lost sight of him as they entered the pass that led back down to the village.

-Oh shit… have I just been claimed like some innocent maiden by a nefarious Lord?! The critics were right, this plot stinks!- he thought, as his vision whited out in what Jensen now knew for certain was an interim flash between scenes, like in a movie or television show.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jensen’s vision cleared just as Jared and his knights were galloping down the trail that led to the quaint little farm from which Jensen had started his day from. The old lady with the kind eyes that had woken him up and sent him on his way with the goats, was waiting for them on the front porch. The look on her face as she bowed to Jared then stood back up was one of calm and wisdom. She eyed Jensen where he sat cradled in the Lord’s large arms, and Jensen noted the look of concern and sad resignation slowly taking over her features.

“Cheesemaker Mary.” Jared greeted her.

“Dragon Lord Jared.” She said in return.

“As you can see, I have your son with me.”

“He’s not my son – an orphan I took in many years ago. But like a son he has been, nonetheless. And yes, I see him quite plain. What I don’t see are the twenty goats I sent him up the mountain with.”

“My apologies for that. I was a bit hasty in my claiming of your son. My man here, Sir Chad, will see that they are returned to you, safely.”

Jared turned to Chad, his voice like steel. “You will gather a hand or two in the village and bring the goats back down.”

Chad looked indignant at being given such a menial task, but at Jared’s tone, he merely bowed his head respectfully then wheeled his horse around and rode off, knowing that this was a slight punishment for nearly touching the boy – the boy that Chad had failed to realize his Lord was interested in and has now claimed as his.

Jared then turned and nodded at Christian who dismounted from his horse and walked up to the old woman. Bowing formally to her, he offered her two small, yet heavy looking leather pouches that bore the stitched silhouette of a dragon in flight.

“The lighter pouch is for the trouble I’ve caused with your goats. It is to be used to replace any that may have been lost while unattended. The other is the Bride Price for your son. You will be notified when the wedding is to be, and I will send an escort for you so that you may attend.”

“Wait, what… Wedding? What do you mean by Bride Pri--?” Jensen started, but was interrupted by the sound of a baby goat in distress.

Above the sound of the baby goat, the sound of hooves could be heard coming from behind them. When Jared turned his horse to look, he frowned at the sight of the rider, but then broke out laughing a second later.

Because of the way Jared had turned, and sitting sidesaddle as he was, Jensen couldn’t see what was sending Jared, and now Christian, into another laughing fit. 

Twisting his body and craning his neck, Jensen’s jaw dropped as he saw Chad returning with an even more thunderous expression on his face. Held at his side with one arm as he guided his horse back towards them with the other hand, was the little baby goat that had been giving Jensen so much trouble earlier. It was struggling franticly to get free, bawling its little head off. Jensen grinned with delight at spotting the baby goat that for some reason he was growing to like. He felt a sense of affection for the stubborn little cuss and eagerly held his arms out for it when Chad pulled up to Jared’s side.

“Hey, Little Bastard…” Jensen said, unconsciously naming the baby goat. “Did you come off that mountain and all this way by your little self?” Jensen crooned, his voice deepening, petting the baby goat as it cuddled up against his chest.

He felt the arm Jared had wrapped around his waist tighten, pulling him flush against his much larger frame. Jensen could now feel the growing bulge pressing against his hip. “That sexy tone should not be wasted on something I consider dinner.” Jared growled into his ear. Nipping sharply at the tender shell of Jensen’s ear, causing him to gasp and harden again in his pants.

– Fuck, who’s the one with the sexy voice, again? – Jensen thought to himself.

The words Jared said finally registered in Jensen’s mind, causing him to stiffen and pull away from Jared’s mouth with an indignant gasp. “You wouldn’t dare eat him, would you?! He’s mine!”

Jared smiled softly down at Jensen. “I but jest, my sweetling. I will protect, uh…”

“Little Bastard. Or maybe LB for short.”

“I would protect Little Bastard, or LB… as I would you, for he is yours, and you are mine.”

Jensen smiled happily up at Jared, not quite sure what the whole ‘mine’ business meant but liking it nonetheless. He stared up at Jared as the bigger man’s gaze darkened with lust again, Jensen’s body responding instinctively, the pressure in his pants getting uncomfortable.

“Oh God…” was all Jensen had time to say before Jared’s mouth crashed onto his, immediately taking advantage of Jensen’s gasp of surprise to slip his tongue into the soft, warm recesses of Jensen’s mouth. The heat and the smell of smoldering pine that seemed to emanate from Jared overtaking Jensen’s senses. Just as the bigger man sucked Jensen’s tongue into his mouth, eliciting a loud moan from him, Jared jerked and then pulled away with a startled exclamation.

“Did he just bite off some of my hair?!”

“Wha-what?!” was all Jensen could get out, his brain taking too long to resume normal function. He shook his head to clear it, then looked up at Jared who was glaring down at the baby goat in Jensen’s arms, while holding one hand up to the side of his head.

When Jared removed his hand, a good two inches was missing from a section of Jared’s shoulder length chestnut hair, leaving it a ragged mess. Jensen clapped his hands to his mouth, trying to keep in the laugh that had come bubbling up from inside. He glanced down at LB and nearly lost it as the baby goat began chewing on the bit of Jared’s hair, looking content and happy with itself. 

Cheesemaker Mary’s muffled titter and Lord Kane’s choked off snort of laughter sent him over the edge, and before he knew it, the three of them were laughing uproariously as Jared just sat there trying to look offended. But Jensen could tell by the slight curling of the corners of his mouth, that he was fighting back his own laughter, and wasn’t really angry with the baby goat. 

Jensen stared up at Jared, drinking in every inch of the beautiful man’s face above him. His clear green eyes tracing over the strong brow, the long, straight nose, the sweet curve of his bottom lip. On a sudden surge of pure impulse, Jensen cupped Jared’s strong jaw with one hand, rearing up to catch his lips with his own.

Jared instantly responded, both of his hands releasing the reigns and snapping up to grip the sides of Jensen’s head as he immediately deepened the kiss – sweeping his tongue into the sweet cavern of Jensen’s mouth. Their tongues rubbing, slipping and sliding as Jared strived to map out and taste every inch of the smaller man now writhing and pressing up against him in a clear sign of want and need. Jensen’s moan was echoed by Jared’s as his body seemed to catch on fire. Jensen was having a difficult time catching his breath, dizziness and a growing sensation of a tingling, golden warmth radiating out from deep in his stomach; making his limbs feel weak and loose.

He didn’t know how long they would’ve continued if the little goat hadn’t gotten impatient with being squeezed between their bodies and let out a loud complaint just before it nipped at Jared’s hair again.

“BAAAAAAA!” it cried again as the two sprang apart in surprise.

Christian and the old lady were now in full blown gales of laughter even as Jensen stared up at Jared’s rapidly reddening face. Jared looked down at Jensen’s beaming smile and sparkling eyes – his own tip-tilted exotic hazel eyes softening as they gazed down at Jensen with clear affection and adoration.

“As soon as you’ve got your giggling under control Sir Kane, I’d like to continue on to the village and then to get my Bride back home.” Jared addressed Christian, even as he continued gazing lovingly down at Jensen. His unwavering look causing Jensen to now blush. In the next second he frowned and stiffened in Jared’s arm.

“Bride?!” Jensen exclaimed, the moment Jared’s words seeped into his muddled brain. “What do you mean, bride?!”

Just then, another white interim flash crashed over him.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Jensen’s vision cleared, and he found himself standing in a stone courtyard with a stone well smack dab in the middle, holding the now quiet and content baby goat in his arms. Jensen flinched slightly as he registered all the unknown faces crowding the courtyard, strange faces, stern faces – and all of them seeming to stare right at him.

A portly, bald man with a pure white beard, and round pale blue eyes was standing in the middle of the open space looking up at Jared. Jared was seated on a large, heavy-looking wooden chair with Christian on one side and Jensen on the other.

“B-but my Lord. What do you mean you have found your mate? We have been waiting for you all morning. We’ve brought together the most beauteous of our people for you to choose from. See?” the old man held a hand out towards a small group of women and girls cowering to the side.

Jensen noted that every single one of them was very nice to look at. From the plump, pretty blonde milkmaid, standing a little apart from the others, trembling yet striving to keep a brave face on - to the petite, curvy brunette, dressed as a noblewoman surrounded by other noblewomen, each slightly less pretty than the brunette, but quite good looking, themselves. 

The brunette stared at Jared with a haughty, confident expression on her face, and as Jensen stared longer, he noted the covetous look as she ran he sharp, brown eyes up and down Jared’s physique.

Jensen felt himself bristling with anger, a possessiveness he’d never felt before coming over him. He stepped closer to Jared laying one hand on the powerful arm closest to him, his other arm keeping the snoozing baby goat pressed secerely to his chest.

The brunette and the old man both noted the possessive action, their eyes widening as Jared took Jensen’s hand in one of his and brought it up to his mouth for a tender kiss to the chapped, work-worn knuckles.

“This…?! THIS is what you’ve chosen as your Bride? Surely you must be jesting!” the old man exclaimed, whirling he rushed toward the noblewomen. “Here, look! This is MY daughter, Sophia. A virgin pure, and the most beautiful in the land.”

The old man dragged the brunette woman forward, making her squawk in protest at his rough treatment.

“She is NOT the most beautiful.” Jared calmly replied, but with an edge of anger to his tone. “I have found the most beautiful and he stands here at my side. I’d be most careful how you address him.”

Jensen found himself blushing as eyes that had finally left him, came right back to stare with varying expressions of intense scrutiny, disdain and incredulous indignation. There were also looks of wonder and envy among them, too. He found himself smiling weakly at the crowd as he shuffled nervously from one foot to the other. Sensing his unease, LB woke up and poked his head up to look around. Some in the crowd tittered as the little goat butted its little head against the underside of Jensen’s jaw.

“The Cheesemaker’s Son?! No Dragon Lord has ever chosen a man as a Bride. For a man to mate with another man is preposterous! What is the point if they cannot bring forth young?! And… and… he’s a goat herder, my Lord!”

“Dragons do not care about gender, social standing or race. Our bonds and our Brides are established at a spiritual level. The Great Lords of the Sky and Fate decide for us, it is only ours to recognize the blessings and to accept them into our hearts. It is in the Doctrines.”

Many in the crowd nodded in agreement, but still some, including the Mayor, looked undecided. “My Lord! If a man and man bonding cannot produce offspring then isn’t it all just for slaking sinful lust? Any whore-boy can be gotten for that, why wed him, especially if it’s never been done before?”

Before Jared, Christian or Jensen could really get mad, a voice rang out in the crowd.

“Now that’s not true.” Called out a strident, quavering voice. All turned to look at an ancient looking woman sitting on a padded bench in front of a stall displaying weaved goods. She got to her feet with the aid of two young women who’d been standing at her side.

“Councilwoman Marilla.” The old man said, bowing slightly to her, she acknowledged the bow with one of her own.

“Mayor Harris. Dragon Lord, Jared.” She said, as she turned and bowed slightly to Jared, as well. Jensen found himself bowing as Jared did, sensing the importance of the woman before them.

“Mistress, it is good to see you again.” Jared murmured, a slight smile to his lips. “Time has treated you well, I see.”

“Oh pish, my Lord. Time has stomped all over me, over and again. My body may be failing me, but my mind and memory are still very much intact. As the Mayor and this town will attest, having come to me for advice on many occasions as well as appointing me to the Town Council.”

Many in the crowd nodded and smiled at the old woman.

“But I was just a young girl at my mam’s knee when last you came here with your mother and your older brother, who was looking for his Bride – along with the Dragon Knight escort, of course.”

“I remember. You kept asking for one of us to fly you to the Great Mountains to get your father back.”

“Yes, he died in the mines, our family was still reeling from the loss at the time. My mam remarried the weaver who was a good man, so my life was no hardship. But I remember, it was your kindly mother, Queen Sharon, who took me aside and kindly explained how my father could never come back, but that he was with the Great Dragon Lords in the skies watching over me and mine. I never forgot her. I was saddened to hear of her passing, my Lord.”

“Yes, even with the extended life one gets from marrying a Dragon, eventually a Bride will age and pass on. We mourn her absence still. My father, Dragon King Geralte followed her soon after.”

“Your Brother, who found his Bride here, Queen Anna, became the King, we heard.”

“Yes, he fought long and hard to sit on our father’s throne. Unlike humans, Dragons do not inherit their ranks. They earn it.”

“Excuse me.” The Mayor interrupted. “Your brother found a female Bride. How does this not confirm what I said, earlier?”

“Because.” Marilla interjected, exasperated. “One of the knights escorting them that day ended up bonding and finding his Bride that day, as well. A stable boy, I believe?”

The crowd murmured, even as the Mayor frowned. “But male with male is still not right. It goes against everything natural in this world.”

Jared suddenly stood, his mercurial gaze flaring and smolder as if on fire. “And where did you hear such ridiculousness?!” he thundered, all the humans except for Mistress Marilla cowering before him.

“He has been listening to the Black Robes.” The old woman said, her voice rife with contempt and censure.

“Black Robes are here?!” shouted Jared, as greenish-gold horns suddenly burst from his forehead, growing until they were a foot long, the tips like glowing embers, smoldering.

Jensen threw himself to the side, pressing himself against the stone wall behind the throne-like chair, holding LB tight to his chest as Christian disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared as a large, copper colored dragon, black scales running in a solid line down the ridge of his back. A great bolt of lightning shot into the sky as he reared back his head and roared in rage.

Jared had by then grown until he was a towering ten feet tall; he turned to look back at Jensen, he and the baby goat staring wide-eyed at him. “Stay there.” He ordered Jensen, who could only nod dumbly, the changes in Jared’s appearance, and the sudden appearance of Christian’s dragon form, leaving him in awed silence.

Jared then turned and stomped to the middle of the courtyard until he was towering above the Mayor, who had scurried backwards until he lost his footing and dropped painfully to his ass on the hard, cobbled street.

Just then, riding through the large archway that led into the courtyard, using his horse to push people aside until he came to Jared’s side, was an alarmed Chad. His blonde hair spiking up in all directions as he stared at Jared in worry. “What’s going on, Lord Jared? What happened?!”

Ignoring him, Jared leaned down to growl at the Mayor.

“This town and the surrounding country is Dragon Lord Lands, why are the priests of the Serpent Lords here? Have you turned traitor, Mayor Bush?”

Chad gasped in outrage, his pale blue eyes turning icy as it narrowed on the hapless man before them.

Jensen noted that the young women with the Masterweaver were hauling her away hastily, even as she complained and told them she wanted to stay. One of them shouting out. “Our Da will have our hides if anything happens to you, this is no longer our business!” she said, as they dragged the old woman behind the weaver’s stall and disappeared from sight.

He turned his attention back to Jared just as the Mayor gathered himself enough to get up to his knees holding his hands up in supplication.

“No NEVER, Lord Jared! I am Dragonborne tried and true! They came a couple of weeks ago, asking for shelter to recover from a long journey. They seemed peaceful, and their leader, Priestess Alana, offered to pay. Weary travelers, they seemed.”

“Rich travelers, more like.” Jared muttered, before turned to look up at Christian. “Search them out and bring them here.”

“Don’t have to.” Mumbled Christian, his voice like boulders grinding together, his bright blue eyes with their slit black pupils was focused on a section of the crowd near the butcher’s shop. “They’re here, already.”

Jensen watched as five men and one woman threw off their concealing gray cloaks and pulled up the cowls of their black robes. The crowd parted to let them thru as they calmly walked towards the center of the courtyard where Jared and Christian watched them carefully.

“I smell Serpent stench on them, but they’re human.” Christian sniffed, then sneered. “Just like the Serpent Lords to send out their humans to spread their lies for them. Deceitful, slimy layabouts.”

As they came to stand in front of Jared, they all threw back their hoods again and grinned impudently up at him.

Sophia, the Mayors daughter, pulled away from her father’s frightened grip and stepped forward. “Lord Jared!” she called out. “That’s their robes but that’s not them! Those are the local villagers that fell under their sway. They’ve come to our home before, trying to get my father to join them. Greedy my father may be, but he is no traitor!”

Her father huffed in outrage, his mouth opening to berate his daughter for her disrespect when she turned a baleful eye on him. “Hush now, Father! Haven’t you gotten us into enough trouble? I warned you about letting those Black Robes in! If mother hadn’t had to go visit my ailing aunt, you know she never would’ve allowed it!”

Her father wilted before her censure; even with her petite stature, his daughter was obviously of a much stronger disposition, just like her mother, who everyone already knew was the unofficial leader of the village.

Turning his attention back to what he now knew were imposters, Jared reached out to grab the black-robed woman, the obvious leader, by the throat with one large hand; effortlessly lifting her up in the air, and bringing her face close to his. “Where are they?” he hissed at her, his eyes swirling with a restrained maelstrom of fire and death.

Jared’s hold wasn’t tight enough to cut off her air way, yet she still struggled to get out what she thought would be her last words. “Better –ungh- question, my Lord –agh- Dragon. Where is –gasp!- your great beauty?” she then began to laugh, her compatriots laughing with her.

Jared frowned at her for a split second, before her meaning hit him. Whipping his head around he saw that Jensen was not where he’d last left him. “JENSEN!” he roared in shock. Sending his dragon senses wide, not sensing him anywhere in the village. Jensen was gone.

Chad jumped from his horse, slapping its flank to set it running back out of the courtyard. He then flashed into his dragon form; a bright blue, with a darker blue ridge down his back, and joined Christian as the larger dragon rose to his haunches and roared into the sky.

At a lake not too far from where Jared had found Jensen, the calls were heard by four more Dragon-kin – Jared’s escort, who he’d instructed to wait there for him. Three dragons entering a mid-sized village, even in human form, was momentous enough. Seven would’ve been too overwhelming for the simple folk in the mountain village.

They had all seen Christian’s bolt of lightning earlier, but having been told specifically not to approach the village unless called, they’d waited anxiously. But with the call blaring out across the countryside from both Christian and Chad they scrambled. With multiple flashes, they took to the air in a great display of massive, sweeping multicolored wings to answer the call to battle. Their cries thundering out ahead of them as they bellowed back their replies to the summons.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this fic has taken on a life of it's own. I'm gonna stop making promises of when updates are coming 'cos frankly, I'm tired of shooting myself in the foot. I CAN promise that I will always try to put out updates as fast as I can, but I can no longer predict how long each chapter will take.
> 
> Every time I think I have a good bead on where I wanna take the story, another idea hits me. The Dragon adventure was only supposed to be one chapter, but now it looks like it'll be 2 and a half chapters. 
> 
> I really hope y'all are liking how this fic is taking me deeper than I thought it would. Longer chapters are good, right? *hopeful grin*

**TRADE ROUTE - ROLLING FOOTHILLS, SOUTH OF THE VILLAGE**

Jensen was really starting to hate interim flashes.

Every time he opened his eyes after a flash, he always found himself in a new location in a new circumstance with no memories to draw on from before to help him figure out what’s going on at each given moment. After every flash, he was literally flying blind.

He was SO going to talk to Lovewell about this.

For now, he kept his eyes closed in an attempt to avoid the few seconds of nausea he always got after every flash. He could tell his hands were chained above him, his legs were hobbled with more chains and he was sitting on a wooden stool in nothing but his underwear and the chastity belt.

That was very disconcerting, and he’d be even more worried if he hadn’t seen the belt in action before. Something told him his belt was the only reason why he still had his undies, even if the belt was now dormant and laying comfortably around his waist in its usual place.

The room was swaying about him in an alarming fashion, but as his hearing sharpened and he got a good look around, he realized he was being held captive in an iron-paneled wagon with a lot of questionable stains on every surface – even the damn ceiling!- Jensen really just wanted to go home now. Adventure be damned.

Then he thought of Jared. He hoped the big man was okay. Jensen wondered if Jared even knew yet that he had been taken.

The last thing he remembered was holding LB safely in his arms as Jared, Christian and then Chad interrogated and intimidated the imposters.

 

\-------------------------------------

_He’d been pressed up to the back of the large chair, trying to avoid notice, while at the same time watching Jared’s back; prepared to call out if anyone tried to sneak up behind the dragons. His fear of Christian’s and then Chad’s dragon forms had faded fast after he’d spotted some characteristics unique to both men. Even if he hadn’t seen them transform, he’d have known who was who just from watching them for a short while. A part of him actually couldn’t wait to see Jared’s full form. He knew Jared would be breathtaking._

_As he’d watched the drama with the dragons, Jensen never noticed the stone wall opening up behind him. There was no one near enough to see or hear when Jensen was snatched up from behind. A large, callused hand clamping hard over his mouth, and a long, heavily muscled arm wrapping around his upper body; forcing Jensen to drop LB, who scrambled out of the way with a pitiful cry as Jensen’s captor kicked at him._

_Enraged at anyone daring to hurt the baby goat, Jensen flailed his legs frantically, using all his weight to throw his captor off balance as the huge lunk made his way back into the hidden passage Jensen could now see._

_His wide, scared eyes snapped back and forth looking for anyone else nearby that could help him. He craned his body back, his frantic gaze searching out Jared, who was still yelling at the imposters. “JARED!” he screamed as loud as he could through the muffling hand clamped over the lower half of his face. “NOOOOOO!” he moaned as the edges of his vision began to white out._

\------------------------------------------------

 

“I know you’re awake, kitty cat. I can hear your heart and your blood change as you awoke, and even now your breathing is getting panicked. Open those pretty, pretty eyes, kitty cat.”

Jensen finally opened his eyes, and stared fearfully into the insane, lighter green eyes of a beautiful, redheaded woman. She smiled like a shark, all teeth, when she locked eyes with him.

“Oh my… you really ARE pretty, I can see why Lord Jared just HAD to have you. For that alone, as a spit in his eye, I would want you for myself. But then… when I unwrap my present I find he has the most precious of gifts on his beautiful body. Draconium! The most coveted and most precious of metals! In a pretty little belt that would look fab on me!”

“It’ll kill you if you try to take it off me.” Jensen gritted out, jerking his head away as she ran her cold hand through his hair in an almost loving caress.

“Oh, I know, dear boy. One of my followers found that out the hard way.” She laughed. “Poor man will never be able enjoy that right hand again. Not with all his fingers fused together like they are! That belt sure packs a punch.”

“So why don’t you just let me go? You can’t get the belt, anyways.”

“Oh yes, I didn’t grab you for the belt, in actuality. I did it to claim you as mine, thus ruining Lord Jared’s blessing of a soul-bonded mate, THUS ruining Lord Jared. I will teach him it’s not wise to turn down Princess Alana’s advances.”

“Princess Alana?”

“ME!” she practically spit in his face.

“Ohhh… let me get this straight.” Jensen reared back, trying to avoid the woman’s touch, something about her just seemed so slimy. “You are risking the lives of your guards and the people who blindly follow you because you got your feelings hurt when Lord Jared spurned your advances?”

She nodded haughtily, holding her hands up as if to say ‘Yeah, and so?’.

Inhaling slowly, Jensen kept a death grip on his temper. “Did it ever occur to you that it had nothing to do with you personally, but more to do with your sex?”

“My guards and my servants are there to serve me in every way. If that means dying or getting disfigured for me, then so be it!” Alana said matter-of-factly, smoothing her hair back with both hands. She wobbled a bit on her feet as the wheels hit some ruts. “And what’s this about sex? We can’t have sex, darling; not until we get MY belt off of you, remember?”

“I don’t want sex with you and it’s not your belt. I’m talking about Jared and why he turned you down.” Jensen rolled his eyes in exasperation. “I don’t know him well enough to know what his usual practices are, but maybe, seeing as how I, another man, is his soul-bonded-mate, whatever… but maybe he prefers men?” Jensen said, inwardly cringing in preparation for an angry outburst from the volatile redhead.

“Huh, I hadn’t thought of that. So maybe it wasn’t because of me, but because of my plumbing?!” Alana gaped with dawning realization. “O-M-G I am so stupid! Of COURSE the guy is gay! I mean, what straight guy would turn this down?”

She twirled in place, coming to a stop with her hands on her curvaceous hips, facing Jensen. Looking up at her, he smiled ruefully at Alana’s use of modern slang, as he flexed his numb hands, causing the chains to rattle slightly.

She stared at him for a good three seconds and then gasped in exasperation as she clapped one hand to her own forehead. “Geez, yeah… I should let you go then. I’m such a dunce, sometimes, you gotta forgive me.”

She then reached up to release Jensen’s arms, but then paused. He looked up at her to see what was keeping her and saw her eyes morph into serpent-like eyes. Slit pupils widening and closing as she stared down at Jensen. “Very smart, little human. You almost had me there.”

Grasping the chains above him in both hands, Jensen used them to lever himself off the stool hips-first, and shoved his crotch against his tormentor. His belt, in the form of underwear, just barely brushed against her bare arm. Screeching in pain, the woman was flung across the small room, crashing into the wall near the door, which was flung open instantly, two hulking men, also with slit, snake-like eyes came stomping into the room.

Feeling all kinds of ridiculous, Jensen stood his ground and wiggled his hips at the hulking giants who were glaring at him, even as Alana began picking herself up from the floor. “Come on, assholes. I dare ya to try and touch me.” Jensen whipped around and shook his ass at them.

“I WILL have my belt off you, and then I will roast you alive and suck the marrow from your bones!” Alana screeched at him, making Jensen and the two guards flinch.

“You’re gonna have to kill me or yourself to get it, lady. Hell, I couldn’t even figure out how to get it off and I’m wearing the damn thing.”

“You have to willingly gift it to another for it to come off, you imbecile!” Alana laughed at him. “And if I were to kill you, the spell would die, too. The belt is valuable on its own, but with an intact spell, it is priceless.”

“So you can’t kill me.” Jensen smirked at her.

“No, but I can make you wish you were dead, you worm!” spittle flew as she screeched this time, her hands dove into her hair and grabbed two handfuls as she nearly danced in place with her rage. “But first, I want my belt.” She said, her temper swinging over again so fast, Jensen was starting to feel as if he was getting whiplash.

Still, he raised a mocking brow at her; some orneriness inside him making him want to rile her up.

A cold smile twisted up the corners of her scarlet mouth as she nodded at her goons. “Bring me three.” She told them, turning back to Jensen as they left the carriage, which Jensen now noticed had come to a stop.

“Let me explain something to you, ignorant little human.” Alana said as she took a seat on a plush bench Jensen was only now noticing. Dragons and Wyrms are of the elements. So… just as there are fire-drakes like your beloved Jared, there are fire-wyrms, like me. Thunder-Drakes, Ice-Drakes, Wind, Earth and Water-drakes… all of them have their counterparts in the Wyrms. Each of us Masters and Mistresses of our element. Each of us immune to the power of our Elements.” Holding her hand in front of her, a bright red flame appeared in midair, right above her hand. She made it dance around her hand as she wiggled her fingers about.

Jensen just stared at her, keeping quiet. He didn’t know why she was telling him all this, but it was interesting to learn more about the Dragons. More about Jared.

Alana snapped her hand closed, snuffing out the dancing flame. She then leaned forward and pointed one long, perfectly painted red nail at him. (Did they have nail polish in this type of fantasy world? – NOT important Jensen, sheesh! Pay attention to the crazy bitch!) Blinking rapidly, Jensen refocused on Alana, who was still pointing at him. “MY belt is made up of the energy and power from all dragon elements… each element cycles through it. Three pops for each element when the belt is in protection mode. Only thing, we don’t know what element is in play unless we test it out.”

“Test it out?” Jensen said, frowning in confusion.

Just then, the coach’s heavy door opened again, and two slight figures were pushed up and into the coach, with one of the behemoths following closely. He gripped the two new people by the backs of their necks and raised them to their feet, both crying out in fear and shock, their eyes searching the room and then landing fearfully on Jensen.

“That last jolt that you got me with was definitely thunder, or lightning as some call it. That hurt like a bitch. It should’ve cycled out by now, but I need to be sure. Once we get it to the Fire setting, I can then safely remove it from you, and take it as mine. Once I put it on me, it will automatically attune to me and even you couldn’t take it.” Alana said, pacing back and forth in front of her bench. She motioned to the guard, who grabbed the arm of the woman closest to him, and began moving her closer to Jensen.

“NO! Alana… no! You can’t do this to them! They’re innocent! It could kill them!” Jensen roared, struggling in his bindings.

The slave in the guard’s hold began twisting and fighting in his grip, begging to be let go. Turning to the slaves nearest her, Alana smiled maliciously at them. “First one to get burned and not die, gets a bagful of gold and their freedom. Just use one finger at a time, you don’t need ALL your fingers do you? Especially if you’re rich?.” She finished by holding up a heavy bag of gold, shaking it to make the coins inside jingle.

The two women were joined by the one who had been fighting the guard, but who had stopped at the mention of gold. They all turned to stare at Jensen with a manic light in their eyes. Jensen knew greed when he saw it.

“Fuck.” Jensen cursed, under his breath.

 

===================================

 

It didn’t take Jared long to find the partially open secret door in the stone wall. He was doubly sure he was on the right patch when twenty feet into the long, dark corridor that his dragon sight and the glow of his dragon breath couldn’t deal with, he came across Jensen’s little goat.

“LB!” he said, honestly delighted to see the little nuisance. LB seemed happy to see him too as he began doing an energetic skip-prance-hop dance all around him while bleating happily.

“LB?” asked Chris, who had opted to shift back and follow Jared as Chad stayed behind to keep an eye on the villagers, muttering about ‘babysitting duties’ again.

Jared took the little goat up into his arms as he continued following the tunnel.

“Little Bastard…. LB for short.” Jared laughed. “My Jensen named him.”

“How important is ‘your Jensen’ to you, my Lord?”

“He’s my soul… he’s my life.”

LB suddenly struggled to be put down and as soon as he was free, he ran ahead and then stopped further down the tunnel and dropped his little head to sniff the floor. He then turned to face the two men. He bleated at them, but this time it wasn’t a playful happy bleat.

“LB? What is it, boy?” Jared asked, frowning at the little goat’s odd behavior.

“Are you expecting him to answer?” laughed Chris.

“There’s something wrong.” Jared murmured, even as Chris rolled his eyes and made to walk past the baby goat, who in turn head-butt him in the groin. Hard.

Jared stared in shock as his best friend and most trusted knight groaned out loud and fell to his side, cupping his junk in both hands as he rolled back and forth in pain.

“LB! What the hell’s gotten into you?!” He made to walk towards the little goat, but paused as the animal lowered its head with the nubby lil horns that hadn’t even begun to grow yet, in a clear warning.

Chris had by then rolled to his knees, and though he was pale and still in some pain, he made it back to his feet, holding a chunk of masonry that he’d picked up from the floor. “I’m gonna brain that little bugger!” he growled, angrily.

“I can’t let you do that. He is Jensen’s and what’s Jensen’s, I protect.”

“We’ll cook and eat him after, Jensen will think he ran away, I won’t tell if you don’t!”

“No.”

“You are SO lucky, you little bastard! Never has one been so aptly named!” Chris shouted, throwing the chunk of rock beyond the goat, setting it clattering down the dark tunnel before them.

Without warning, ten silver lances shot out of the wall five feet ahead of them, their deadly points imbedding in the wall opposite from where they’d shot out from. The clamor causing LB to bleat in surprise, making him scamper back to Jared, ducking behind the tall man, shivering as he pressed up to Jared’s legs for comfort.

Testing the corridor by tossing more chunks of stone ahead of them, Jared turned to look at Chris with an awed look on his face. He reached down to pull LB into his arms again, cradling the little goat just under his chin, not caring when the baby began chewing on the ends of his hair. “LB saved us. I know we wouldn’t have died from a lance or two, but it would’ve been very painful, and it would’ve taken us too long to heal and continue on; making it even harder to find Jensen.”

“Oh c’mon. He was just being a brat. As baby goats are wont to do. He didn’t know what was there. It’s just a dumb animal, Jared.”

LB proved Chris wrong when twice more he stopped them from walking into traps that were meant to slow them down. By the time they found the door that opened out onto the side of a low hill outside of the village, Chris was asking to hel carry the baby goat.

A ringing call rang out above them and Jared and Chris waved and smiled up at the half-wing of dragons wheeling in the sky above them. Jared couldn’t be any happier to see them.

A large bluish-white dragon separated from the others and came swooping down towards a nearby clearing – about 20 feet from the ground the dragon opened its wings, braking its fall in midair – it flashed into the form of a man who fell straight to the ground, landing with only a slight stumble. Jared and Chris rushed to meet Chris’ second-in-command.

“Steve!” Chris called out, rushing up to grasp forearms with his fellow guardsman and friend. “Nice landing there, buddy.”

“Eat me.” Steve smirked. “What’s the emergency? Did Jared find his mate?”

“He found his soulmate.”

“Really?! That is great news!”

“Found him and then lost him! I am a terrible dragon-mate!” Jared howled at the sky, pulling on his own hair with frustration. The dragons in the sky crooned comfort and love at him as Jared’s mind filled with despair.

“Lost him? What happened? Is that the reason for the call-to-arms? What happened to him, Jared?” Steve demanded, even as he watched Chris gently unclench Jared’s hands from his hair, working on soothing his Lord and best friend. Chris shot Steve a look, and knowing what his Commander wanted, Steve stepped back and signaled the rest of the dragons down. All of them at about 10 feet up in the air, dropping to the ground in their human forms; much more cleanly than Steve had in his haste to land and find out what was going on.

Jared stood to the side, his arms wrapped around him staring off towards the mountains, as he closed his eyes and felt the slight connection of an un-bonded. The moment a dragon met his soulmate a connection is made. Being of magical descent, the dragon can feel it more than the human can. All the human can feel is a deep sense of need and desire for his or her dragon-mate. A craving that sets in deep.

With a dragon the connection is stronger. Right now, Jared could sense Jensen’s low level fear. Jared should be able to feel more. He should be able to track and pinpoint exactly where his mate was, but something was blocking him. He ran his hands roughly through his hair again, this time making a conscious effort not to pull on his hair. Chris’ earlier threat of shaving him bald as he slept if he kept it up.

His fingers ran across the ragged edges where LB had bitten chunks out of, and froze. He turned in place as he looked around for the little goat.

“LB!” Jared shouted, walking around frantically looking for the baby goat. “LB… where are you, boy? C’mon baby boy, come back to me, LB!”

“Who’s LB?” Steve interrupted Chris’ story of the events that led up to this point.

“LB is Jensen’s pet. LB stands for Little Bastard and he’s a smart, frisky lil black and white baby goat.”

“A goat?! You’re telling me Lord Jared is getting upset over a goat?!” one of the other knights exclaimed.

“It’s his mate’s goat.”

“So?”

“His SOUL-mate’s goat!”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh… I’m gonna have to assign one of you to look for him, while the rest of us, along with Lord Jared, tracks down Jensen.”

All the knights refused to look at him. Not a one of them willing to volunteer for goat duty.

“Uh, Commander… I think we’ve got a volunteer.” One of the younger knights pointed while staring at a point beyond Christian’s shoulder.

Chris whipped around to see Jared taking off thru the sparse trees that bordered the clearing they were standing in. “LB!” he was shouting as he ran.

“Aw fuckin’ hell!” Chris muttered, he quickly shifted into his dragon form and took to the air. He ducked his head below him to call back orders. “Steve, stay on foot catch up to and stay by Lord Jared’s side. Colin, fly forward recon for Lord Jared, report any obstacles or dangers in his path directly to him. The rest of you with me, flying overhead and rear guard.”

Jared had caught up to LB who was running in a wobbly but straight path south. Jared picked him up and began running in the same direction. If he wavered, the baby goat would nip him. LB rested comfortably in Jared’s arms but kept his head poked forward sniffing the air, and Jared was convinced he was scenting Jensen, or whatever had taken him.

Jared ran along the dusty trade road with LB in his arms, not even breaking a sweat. As he ran, he craned his head down to kiss the middle of the goat’s forehead. His eyes glowed for a second, and when he lifted his mouth there was a branded dragon sigil on the little goat’s head. Done so quickly and painlessly, the baby goat hadn’t felt a thing. “Now you are protected, and others will know it, too.”

The road curved down and around a low hill and opened up into a large, stony field. The road went straight through it, but was pitted with holes and rocks, which is probably what had caused the small group of travelers up ahead to stop.

LB struggled to be put down, which Jared complied with, as he reached back to undo the bindings on his sword, setting it in a position so that he could easily reach back and pull it out if he needed to.

Colin, the junior Earth-Drake gave a thunderous roar as he swooped low over the party ahead.

Suddenly, from the large, unusual coach came a scream that curdled the blood in Jared’s veins even as it set his heart to racing in his chest.

“JAAAAARED!” Jensen screamed, desperation and fear in the hoarse cry.

Jared’s feet were moving on their own, even as a red haze of rage filled his vision. “JENSEN!” he thundered back, hoping his mate could hear him.

The men that had been working around the coach, all large, hulking men, whipped around to face him as Jared came pounding down the road toward them, still several yards away. A snarl twisting his features as his eyes flashed to gold, the pupils turning into black vertical slits. His horns burst forth again, this time the tips burning with gold dragon-fire.

The men before him all shifted into black swirls and then reappeared as immense Wyrms of varying colors.

This wasn’t his first time battling Wyrms, so Jared automatically assessed each of the wyrms before him. He identified an ice, two lightning and one wind wyrm. None of them knew how to handle the speedy little Earth-Drake, Colin. Who, despite his young age, was chosen to be a Royal Guard. But now, he was displaying the reason why he was chosen quite well as he helped Jared to get in closer.

He kept the ground shaking under the wyrms while throwing up earthen shields to absorb all blasts thrown at Jared and then Steve who had finally caught up and ran up to Jared’s side. Colin timed his earth shields so that he dropped them when Jared shot off bolts of his own.

The horses and slaves the wyrms had with them had scattered the moment the wyrms shifted into their true massive forms, so with only the coach to worry about, Jared let loose with his powerful golden fireballs. He scored a lucky direct hit on one of the lightning wyrms, killing it instantly.

However, its death enraged the rest of them and their bolts came even faster. Jared had to eventually stop in place as Colin strove to keep the earthen shield up even as it got battered by the constant barrage, while staying aloft and keeping an eye out for any bolts aimed at him. Colin grinned as he spotted the dark blue, nearly black hide of Brock as the wind-drake shifted and joined him in the air, using his wind to batter at the wyrms from varying sides.

By then, Chris, Steve and the last of the guards, Adam, had joined Jared behind Colin’s earth-shield.

“Looks like we’re pinned down, boss.” Adam grinned at Jared, his love for battles making him giddy.

“Where’s Brock?” Jared frowned.

“Probably back up in the air with his sweety pie… YEEP!” Adam yelped as a hillock of dirt beneath him grew to jab him in one butt cheek before subsiding back into the ground.

“I can hear you!” shouted Colin as he swooped by, Brock following him a second later, chuckling at his mate’s antics. They flew down to the end of the field and then swooped back in perfect attack formation.

Small boulders began rising into the air and flying towards the wyrms. The wind-wyrm easily deflecting them, but it seemed to also be trying to protect the coach, which, to Jared’s consternation more screams were coming from.

 _-Hold on, baby… I’m coming.-_ Jared stared worriedly for a second at the coach, but had to turn his attention back to the fight.

It should’ve been an easy win from here with the three drakes on the ground and the two in the air, but suddenly, the wind-wyrm got smart and whipped one of Colin’s rocks right back at him with a blurring speed. Colin didn’t have a chance of stopping or avoiding it.

The small boulder ripped through Colin’s massive, light green wing, the young dragon screamed in agony as his remaining wing fought and failed to keep him aloft, he began to spiral downwards, his broken wing bloodied and mangled as it tried to work.

Brock roared in pure fury, and using the wind-wyrm’s trick against him, he swooped all of Colin’s remaining rocks into a line, swooping it thru the air in a long arc that swung back down in a direct line for the two remaining wyrms on the ground.

In his rage and anguish, Brock hadn’t paused to make sure of their trajectory and some were already hitting the coach. Brock abandoned the battle and zoomed off to catch his mate before he could hit the ground.

Jared shouted for Adam, without really know what he wanted the ice-drake to do. 

Adam was already a step ahead of Jared and was in motion. Ducking out of the earth shield he’d strode quickly to the side to throw a thick shield of ice over the coach, trying to protect it.

Steve and Chris combined their powers of water and lightning to keep the last two wyrms in place as the small boulders hurtled down out of the sky. Majority of the rocks bombarded the wyrms, the sheer volume of them was too much for them to deflect or destroy and they ended up getting pulverized into the ground – nothing left but bits and pieces and a nasty stain that was eventually covered by the last of the rocks.

Adam was sweating profusely but had succeeded in keeping the thick ice shield around the coach intact. Jared clapped him gratefully on one shoulder, calling out a ‘well done’ to Steve and Chris. “Someone go check on Brock and Colin.” Jared called out, before heading for the coach, shouting Jensen’s name.

Steve nodded at Chris, the young knight jumping effortlessly twenty feet into the air, before shifting into his bluish-white dragon form and taking off in search of where Brock and Colin had landed. Hoping that young Colin was still alive and not hurt too badly.

Back at the coach, Jared ran up to where he guessed the door to the unusually large conveyance to be, Adam melting the ice from that section for him. Before he could even reach for the door, it opened on its own. The three drakes backed up as the fire-wyrm in human shape came out. She was a brassy redhead with a malicious grin on her face. She held Jensen in one arm, her empty hand held out towards the drakes.

“You’re too late, Lord Jared. I’ve broken your little toy, I’m afraid. But he had something I wanted, and he wouldn’t give it to me. So I had to take it from him.”

Jared barely heard Alana. His entire being focused on the limp form of his nearly naked mate, clad only in an interesting type of undergarment that clung to his parts, leaving almost nothing to the imagination with how well they molded to him. Jared shook his head at the burgeoning lascivious thoughts and refocused his attention on the situation at hand.

Jensen hung limply in the woman’s hold. His arms lax at his side, head thrown back over one of her shoulders, his bare feet dragging on the ground. Even if he was taller than her, she was much, much stronger. He was covered in bruises, small cuts all over his body, and his face was swollen down one side, eye swelled shut with blood trails from his nose and the corner of his mouth. Jared’s chest heaved with futile rage at the thought that someone had dared to harm his mate and he hadn’t been there to prevent it.

Alana snapped her fingers twice at him, but failing to get him to look at her, she brought her hand up, an oily-looking red fireball floating above it. She brought it close to Jensen’s face; forcing Jared to turn his now furious gaze on her.

“Now that I’ve got your full attention…” she smirked, nastily. “It’s really a shame I didn’t have the time to defile him by taking him as my own consort, but there’s always another day. Right now, I want you three to back off and let me go. I will leave your toy here, with no further harm. Try to rush me and I will burn his face off.”

“What did he have that you needed bad enough to harm him so?” Jared gritted out, his golden eyes blazing with a futile fire.

“Why, his chastity belt of course.” 

“His what?!”

“Oh my, you hadn’t even gotten that far yet when I snatched him. You didn’t know. How rude of me.”

Jared grit his teeth in frustration, his gaze demanding explanations.

Rolling her eyes, Alana awkwardly lifted her shirt, using the hand that was wrapped around Jensen to do so. The drakes all gasped when they spotted the softly glowing, golden belt around her waist.

“That’s a Draconium belt!” Chris exclaimed. “Only given to the direct heirs of highborn Dragon-kin. Dukes, duchesses, princes and princesses. They’re very, very rare. How the hell did a lowly goat boy get it?” Chris’ voice now breathy with awe.

“We’ll figure that out later. I don’t care about the belt, I just want Jensen!”

“I don’t know now, Prince Jared.” Alana murmured as she nuzzled the side of Jensen’s head with her own. Jensen growled, moving his head as far as he could from her. She tightened her arm around his midsection, squeezing the cracked rib she had inflicted on him earlier, making him groan in pain.

Chris and Adam had to hold Jared back as Alana brought her fireball close enough to singe a few of Jensen’s hairs off from the front of his head. “Now, now… I’d keep real still if I were you, pet. You wouldn’t want me to drop this.”

“Jensen!” Jared called out. Jensen’s eyes leaving the fireball and looking past it at Jared.

Jared stared intently into Jensen’s eyes, the molten gold in his eyes seeming to spin slowly as Jensen’s green gaze locked on. To Jensen, even if he wanted to look away, he knew he wouldn’t be able to.

“What are you doing?!” Alana screeched.

Jared began speaking, his words measured and emotional.  
“Glacaim tú Jensen  
(I take you Jensen)  
mar mo solas, mo ghrá  
(As my light, my love)”

“Awww, that is so sweet.” Alana sneered.

Ignoring her, Jared continued without breaking eye contact with Jensen.  
“mo leath eile, m'anam  
(My other half, my soul)  
Is é mo chorp agus mo shaol mise go deo  
(My body and my life is yours forever)”

With the last word, Jensen’s head fell back against Alana again, but this time his whole body glowed with a golden light.

Alana staggered, as if Jensen had grown much heavier. She had to let his feet rest fully on the ground, but kept her arm locked around his waist. “What did you do?! What the HELL did you do?!”

Jensen, still trembling, lifted his head and stood on his own feet. Strength roaring through his body, he gasped as he felt his injuries healing. Gasping again as his cracked rib mended itself. His now brighter green eyes shot to Jensen, his eyes wide as he realized what Jared had done.

“Yes, my love. You’re now one of ours.” Jared confirmed. “You are like me, now.”

“NO!” Alana screamed, as she smashed her fireball against Jensen’s chest.

It splattered and dripped off of him in a harmless spray, Jensen laughed and pushed her arm off him. His own strength matching hers then growing stronger. He reached to capture her, but like water she slipped out of his grasp and ran around the coach.

By the time the men made it around the coach, Alana was far across the rocky terrain, with a swirl of black smoke, she disappeared and reappeared as a large, scaled dark red serpent, or wyrm, as the dragons called them.

“I’ve got her!” Adam shouted, leaping and shifting in midair. The ice-drake roaring a challenge as he took off after Alana, who stopped fleeing and turned to face the ice-drake.

Fire’s bane is Ice, and vice-versa.

Alana, still in wyrm form, reared halfway up off the ground as she swiveled in place, tracking the ice-drake wheeling above her. She went on the defensive as she used her powers to deflect the bolts of ice Adam shot at her. Every once in a while, she’d shoot off a ball of fire back at him.

With his next barrage of ice bolts, one got past Alana’s defenses and scored directly on her flank, the flesh instantly freezing; ice spreading. Shrieking in agony, she blasted the affected spot with fire from her mouth, instantly stopping and dissolving the ice.

“ADAM, NO!” Jared shouted, but too late.

Adam, confident in his victory after the hit, swooped down close to finish off the job, when Alana suddenly whipped about with a scream of pure rage; a beam of scorching, dark red oily flame erupting from her large maw and hitting Adam head on. The ice-drake had time for one agonizing scream before his body shriveled up in midair and then exploded into fine ash. Jensen staring in horror and rage.

He may not have known the ice-drake but Jensen knew he hated Alana. Overwhelmed by that hatred, Jensen charged the nearly 50 foot long monster of a serpent; his scream of rage morphing into a bellow of fury as he shifted on the run – flashing into a beautiful, 25 foot long, silver-scaled dragon with glowing green eyes.

Only dragons and serpents who’ve reached a certain age and proficiency with their powers could hold a sustained beam from their mouths. So Jensen, doing what he could, spat bolts of green fire at the red wyrm, who returned fire with her oily, red bolts. Even if she was much older than Jensen, Alana had taxed her powers substantially using her beam on Adam; so her fireballs weren’t as large as Jensen’s and were no match for Jared’s golden fireballs as they came flying over Jensen and hitting her dead on.

Even if Jensen and Jared’s fire couldn’t damage her, the impact of them were taking their toll and preventing her from adequately blocking Chris’s devastating lightning bolts.

Even if Chris’ power wasn’t as harmful to her as Adam’s ice, they were still causing damage, and draining more and more of her energy.

Using one last trick, Alana spun in place as she let out another shorter beam of fire at ground level; causing a wave of fire to rush out toward the three dragons. It pushed Jared and Jensen back at least 12 feet, while forcing Christian to take to the air, with a few scales on his tail scorched.

Continuing her turn, Alana dove into a large crack in the ground that ran down the side of the mountain.

“NO! She’s getting away!” roared Jared as he lunged and then failed to catch her, his large, saber-like teeth snapping shut on empty air. Jensen zoomed around Jared to stop her, stumbling to a halt when Chris dropped into his path.

“What are you doing?!” Jensen shouted. “She’s getting away!”

“I don’t think so.” Murmured Chris, his jaw dropping in a draconic smile as he stepped to the side.

Jared and Jensen gaped as they stared at Alana’s large tail, still sticking out of the crevasse, as it twitched and slowly turned white and then froze all the way to the tip.

“Alright, who ordered the wyrm-sicle?”

Jared and Jensen gaped as their eyes traveled up to the top of a boulder perched above the crevasse, Chad crawling slowly into view atop it, with LB perched nimbly on his head. “Hey guys, what did I miss?”

As nimbly as, well, a goat… LB hopped down off of Chad, worked his way down the boulder, bleating frantically when it hit the ground and ran towards Jensen.

“Wow, he even knows you in that form.” Chad grinned, as he shifted and hopped down from the boulder. “Cool color, brother. Never seen a pure silver drake before, and that green fire is da bomb!”

Jensen flashed back into his human form with an ease that kind of unsettled him. He had a sense of displacement – his mindset about the adventures the Gypsy spell had sent him on being all fake began to change; his excuses about the adventures not being real thus allowing him to be as spontaneous and reckless as he wanted, were falling apart fast.

With the way the characters were using their real names, and then the slang creeping into their speech, it was giving Jensen a strong surrealistic feeling. He had blocked out what he’d brought back with him from the first adventure, not just the belt but evidence on and in his body. No matter how much he’d tried to ignore it, Jensen now knew without a shadow of a doubt, that he’d lost his virginity to a make-believe character in a space ship, and even if it had been wonderful at the time, it was in no way how he’d pictured his first time to be.

“Jensen?” Jared said softly, having changed back into human form as well, stood in front him, craning his head down to get a better look at Jensen’s face. “I retrieved your belt, sweetheart. I think the power in it is gone, but the belt is still intact.”

Jensen took it with a quiet ‘thank you’; his unusual silence worried Jared.

“Hey, where’s everybody else?” Chad called out merrily as he worked his way down the boulder almost as nimbly as the baby goat had.

Just then, Steve came flying back, dropping to the ground in the middle of their group.  
“Colin’s alive, but he’s very hurt and in a lot of pain. He can’t shift with his wing that bad. Shifting might cause him to lose it completely, so I need help bearing him back to the village, to their healers.”

“I’ll help.” Chad immediately offered, all traces of humor and sarcasm gone; Chris also volunteered.

Chad suddenly stopped in his tracks, Chris having to sidestep fast or walk into him. Chad turned to take everyone in. “Where’s Adam?”

Chris and Steve immediately looked down, unable to meet the younger man’s gaze. Chad’s frantic ice-blue eyes locked onto Jensen, whose bright green eyes were filling with tears, even as his gaze trailed off to his left, looking at something on the ground behind Chad.

Whipping around, the blonde knight gasped in shock when he spotted the large pile of ash sifting softly in the scant breeze. A moan built up from deep within him and came wailing out of him as he ran towards what was left of the ice-drake, Adam.

“Adam! NOOOO!” he keened, dropping to his knees partway into the ash pile. His hands sifting through frantically ‘til they came back up holding a silver necklace with an intricate emblem hanging from it. Holding it in his hands, Chad wept softly over it.

Jared walked up behind Chad, laying one hand on his shoulder, squeezing firmly to show his support. Chad looked up at him and smiled in gratitude.

“Oh my god, this is all real.” Jensen suddenly cried out, then he whipped around and began walking back to the village in a hurried pace. “No, it’s not! It can’t be real. It just can’t!” 

“Jensen!” Jared called out worriedly, even as he rushed to follow his mate.

“NO!” Jensen turned around, slashing both hands through the air as he walked backwards. “You’re not real! You’re just one of my fantasies!” He then turned back forward, and continued stomping away.

Jensen’s mind was whirling with so many thoughts and memories: Frank-Jared the space merc, Lovewell, Natalie, Rachel and then Dragon Lord Jared, all of them were looking at him, expecting something… expecting him to choose. But choose what? He wanted to go home. Jensen just wanted to go home!

The young college student was so upset, his thoughts whirling about him chaotically he never noticed that his vision was whiting out even as he stumbled to a stop and began slumping to the ground.

===========================  
When the world faded back in from white, Jensen found himself laid out on a soft, comfortable bed, feeling warm and content. Due in large part to the man stretched out beside him.

Jensen’s head was resting on Jared’s large chest, one arm thrown across his slim waist and one leg hiked up high on a strong, muscular thigh. Jensen then realized one other fact that sent a roaring blush up from his chest, on up his neck and cheeks and straight to the tips of his ears.

They were both completely naked.

“Good Morning, sweetling.”

Jensen warily raised his head from where he’d been laying, and noticed right off that he’d left a little puddle of drool on the flawless sun-kissed skin of Jared’s impressive pectoral. –how embarrassing!-

Jensen wiped if off with a rueful grin up at Jared. “Sorry, that was gross of me.”

“I’ve had your saliva in my mouth and enjoyed it very much. What makes you think I’d find it gross when it’s on my body?”

“Well, when you put it that way…” Jensen laughed.

“Of course, I’d rather you applied it in other fashions, but I’ll take what I can get.” Jared smirked.

Jensen let out a bark a laughter, then chopped it off as yesterday’s events came rushing back.

He shot to a sitting position in a bed he could now see was massive, round and draped in dark red silken covers. “Adam… Colin… Chad! Oh my God, Adam is dead. Is Colin okay? How is Chad doing? Where the hell are we?!”

With an adoring smile on his face, Jared sat up and pulled the smaller man into his arms, practically cradling him in his lap; Jensen sitting snugly between Jared’s legs, upper body nestled comfortingly up against the large, lightly haired chest, his legs thrown over one of Jared’s thighs.

With how closely he was being held, Jensen could immediately feel the half-hard state of Jared’s cock against his hip. Yet, the dragon lord did nothing more than hug him, and run his large palms up and down his body in soothing caresses.

“We are in my rooms at Drake’s Helm on Black Mountain… my home.”

Jensen gasped in shock. “Your home?! But how did we get here in only a day?!”

“We left the horses back in Ackles after we scoured the countryside, making sure there were no more serpents about, and then we flew back. We secured Adam’s ashes in a sealed box that I also carried. Chris and Chad switched off with Brock in helping Colin home.”

“How is Colin doing? Will he fly again?”

“The Drake healers say yes he will. It will just take time for the small bones and the wing membranes to heal and grow back.”

“What about Chad and the rest of Adam’s family?”

“They are strong and have the rest of the coven to support them. We secure the remains of our loved ones who have passed in special urns made from the stone of our mountain. These urns are then placed on special ledges carved into the flanks of the mountain, all the way up to the top. The urns are placed on the mountain according to how the deceased lived his or her life, and also according to how they died.” Jared turned his head to look up, his beautiful gold, green and blue eyes turning misty as he stared off into space. “Adam’s bravery will place him high up on the mountain.”

Jensen felt his eyes stinging with unshed tears. He didn’t know why it was affecting him so much, he never even got to formally meet the ice drake. But just the thought that the dragon-man had given his life to save him left Jensen with a maelstrom of emotions and feelings he didn’t quite know how to process.

“He didn’t even know me and he died for me.” Jensen murmured softly, still fighting back his tears.

Jared frowned down at Jensen’s forlorn tone of voice. “Jensen, he didn’t have to know you. The moment I declared you as mine, you became one of us. The Dragon Knights are a breed unto themselves. They live for battle, the greatest honor for all of them is to die in defense of another. The Royal Guards even more so when it comes to my family and those we hold dear. Adam would be laughing at you right now if we could see him watching us.”

Jensen blinked up at Jared, a light coming back into his deep viridian gaze. “Really?”

“Really. Everybody is fine. Even the mayor and the people of Ackles have vowed to be more vigilant and to stay clear of the Black Robes. The Mayor’s daughter, Sophia, even wanted me to tell you that she will personally find another boy to help your Mam with the goats.”

Jensen chuckled as he snuggled up against Jared, wrapping both arms around his large chest, top of his head nestling up under Jared’s jaw. Jared reciprocated and wrapped his large arms around Jensen and hugged him close. “There is one more thing I need to tell you, but I don’t want you to be alarmed.” Jared murmured into the soft spikes of Jensen’s hair.

Jensen pulled his head back to frown warily up at Jared. “What is it?”

“We have to get up and get dressed. My parents would like to meet you before our wedding tonight.”

“w-WHAT?!”


	6. Chapter 6

**A COUPLE HOURS LATER…**

Jensen blinked dazedly as he stared at the cup held out toward him by the ‘priest’ in the fancy gold robes before him. “What?” he asked, for what felt like the thousandth time today. He thought back to how the day had unfolded the moment he and Jared had left Jared’s luxurious rooms.

 

===================================

 

_Jared had taken him out of the mountain and to a high plateau nearby to officially meet his parents. Only to have two dragons even larger than Jared touch down with ground-trembling –whumps– before him and instantly transforming into two of the most grand and elegant people he’d ever seen in his life._

_The tall, statuesque golden-haired woman had instantly held out her arms to Jensen and rushed up to pull him into a crushing hug. “Oh, my dear silver, how long we’ve waited for you!” she gushed._

_“What?!” He wasn’t ashamed to admit that her surprisingly strong embrace had caused him to squeak out in surprise. His face had flamed with embarrassment when the large, bald man who must be Jared’s father had laughed at his reaction._

_“Now dear, don’t break him, Jared just found him, after all,” the bald, yet intimidating hulk of a man rumbled. “Here, let me in there, woman.” He said, as he pulled Jensen out of the woman’s arms and pulled him into a much gentler hug. “Welcome to the family, little one.” He finished by holding Jensen at arm’s length and beaming warmly down at him._

_Jensen had to fight back the indignant urge to protest the ‘little one’ comment. After all, he was by no means scrawny and well over 6 feet tall, but he guessed that when compared to Jared and his parents he was smaller, if not exactly ‘little’._

_As the older man released Jensen, Jared pulled him into his own arms, grinning knowingly, probably having felt Jensen’s brief flare of indignation. “To him, everyone is little. Even me,” Jared assured him._

_“Well, at least now I see where you got your handsy tendencies,” Jensen muttered, then gasped as he realized how brash and unappreciative his comment sounded._

_Jared and his parents just laughed. Jensen breathed a sigh of relief._

_“Yeah, overly affectionate tendencies do tend to run in this family. My parents were the same way,” Jared chuckled. “Jensen of Ackles, these are my surrogate parents. My uncle Geoffrey and his mate, my aunt Iris. Uncle Geoff is the Head of our Council and Aunt Iris is our Head Historian.”_

_Jensen smiled at them, not sure if he should bow or something._

_Jared then turned to look up at the skies and grinned. “And coming in right now is the rest of my family.”_

_Jensen whipped around to see another gold dragon heading their way, a copper colored dragon at his side. Instead of landing as the older dragons had, the gold and copper shifted in midair and dropped to the ground, landing easily in the grass before them. Jensen didn’t think he’d ever get used to seeing that._

_“Brother!” the tall male that looked like a burlier, yet slightly shorter version of Jared boomed out. The petite redhead that he paused to gather under his arm before walking towards the little group waiting for them smiled happily up at them. Jensen noticed only then the slight swell of her belly, gauging her to be about three months pregnant._

_As the newcomers reached them, Jensen again spoke without thinking, concern for the petite woman overriding his good sense. “Are you sure dropping out of the sky like that is good for the baby?”_

_Everyone went silent, except for Iris who gasped and then grinned ecstatically at the redhead. Jensen’s face again went up in flames, inwardly cursing himself for his big mouth. Totally mortified about revealing what must’ve been a secret, he stammered out an apology then turned to hide his face in Jared’s chest. His mate’s arms closing around him in comfort._

_“No need to apologize, little brother,” the redhead rushed to assure him. “We were planning on telling all the good news soon. It’s only right the family should know first.”_

_Jared peered down at the still hiding Jensen, affection on his face. “These two, my love, are my brother King Jeffrey of Drake’s Helm and his Queen, Anna of Drake’s Helm, formerly of Ackles. This, my brother and sister, is Jensen of Ackles. My mate.”_

_“A fellow countryman!” Anna exclaimed, stepping up to give Jensen a hug of welcome._

_“It’s about time, little brother!” Jeffrey said, in a loud voice Jensen guessed was his usual volume. “I was beginning to think that if one more decade went by, your cock would drop off and you’d become a dragoness!”_

_Iris tittered. Geoff gave out a honk of laughter._

_“Jeffrey!” Anna shouted, astonished at her mate._

_It was Jared’s turn to go red this time, and as Jensen stifled a chuckle, Jared’s lips thinned in disgruntlement and he threw himself at his King and brother. Jeffrey was ready for him, and met him head on. Their large arms locked around each other as they went tumbling down into the grass, rolling down the slight incline as they wrestled and fought to pin the other._

_Geoffrey rolled his eyes and sighed, “I’ll go monitor them, make sure they don’t rough each other up too much.” He ambled off after the tussling pair as Iris and then Anna each took one of Jensen’s arms and started leading him back towards the entrance to the mountain, chatting about the events to come up later that night._

_“So, are you ready for the mating flight?” Anna asked._

_“What?!” Jensen squeaked, yet again._

==============================

 

“What did you say?” he asked the priest again, resisting the urge to shake his head in an attempt to regain control of his muddled thoughts. His mind snapping back to attention when LB, who was standing next to him wearing a coronet of flowers on his head butted his thigh. He absently reached down and patted the little goat’s head.

As LB began nibbling on Jensen’s pants, Chad, with a roll of his eyes and a smirk of amusement, stepped up and swept the baby goat into his arms, moving back to stand with the other guardsmen, the baby goat settling happily into his arms.

The priest frowned at Jensen’s ignorance, as well as the presence of an animal attending a royal wedding, alive and moving around instead of roasted and placed on the large buffet table as it should be. He guessed it was due to Jensen being dragon-turned, not dragon-born and dismissed his doubts.

Leaning forward, and in a hushed voice, he explained, “This elixir will trigger your heat, which will then start off the mating flight. This flight being most important in showing the dragon-kin that your mating is to be a good and fruitful one. The longer the flight, the better.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought you said. Is this the only way? I’m not very good at flying yet,” he said, nervously. His hands, clasped before him, began fiddling with the gold chastity belt that Jared had returned to him, and now rested right above the low-slung gauzy and billowy pants he’d been given to wear. He didn’t know if it still worked, but he was strangely happy to have it back. He turned his attention to Jared, who’d stepped closer to reassure Jensen.

“That won’t matter, love,” Jared said. “Your instincts will be brought to fore by the elixir. And yes, it’s kind of the only way we can be mated. It’s how we’ve always done it.”

“Okay, let me have it,” turning back to the priest and holding out one hand.

“Just like that?” Jared blinked at Jensen’s about-face in attitude. “No more questions?”

Jensen turned to blink owlishly up at Jared. “Well, yeah I do. But, that can wait ‘til later. If this is the only way I can have you as mine then I’ll do it.”

Jared’s eyes pooled with tears, touched by Jensen’s unwavering determination to mate him. “I love you,” Jared murmured, blinking back his tears.

Feeling a sting at the back of his own eyes, Jensen smiled beatifically back at him. “I love you, too,” he said. Then snorted softly as he heard quite a few of the women nearby, including Iris and Anna, sighing with delight. Glancing to his left, Jensen caught Jeffrey rolling his eyes, and had to hold back a laugh he could feel bubbling in his throat.

“My Lord?” the priest said, to get his attention. He held the cup out to Jensen when the young man turned his attention back to the front. Jensen took it carefully, worried about dropping the beautiful, clear, rough-cut crystal goblet. He looked down at the liquid inside, noting the sheen to the clear liquid, and as he brought it closer to his mouth he scented mint and something floral in it.

Turning to face Jared, Jensen brought the cup to his mouth and took a sip. It tasted like he’d licked a rose petal after having just brushed his teeth. It wasn’t that tasty, but it wasn’t horrible tasting either. The priest, Jared, and everyone present watched as he drained the cup dry. He then turned to return the heavy goblet back to the priest who handed it off to an attendant.

The priest then began to drone on in the language Jensen had heard him use before but had no idea what was being said. His words, however, had a clear sense of closure to it, though, so Jensen figured the priest was finishing up the mating ceremony. As he talked his words began to echo in Jensen’s head even as his senses began to sharpen. Jensen could hear every breath and heartbeat in the large, open courtyard that had been decorated in green garlands, floral sprays and strategically placed braziers with roaring fires in them.

He also felt like his body was quickly heating up from the inside. All the smells in the area began to overwhelm him, causing Jensen to weave on his feet. Just as the priest finished what he was saying, Jensen stumbled and bumped into Jared who instantly grabbed and steadied him. With a flash of anger that seemed to come out of nowhere, Jensen pulled away from him and stumbled into the open area that had been kept clear.

“Jensen?” Jared called to him, making Jensen whip around to face him. His eyes a glowing green. Jared’s eyes began to glow gold in response.

Jensen’s body fell into a slight crouch, his hands held low before him, each finger tipped with a black claw. “You think to claim me, Gold one? I am silver, I am a flash of light in the sky. You will have to catch me first, big boy.”

With that, Jensen spun on his heel and jumped twenty feet into the air, a white flash lighting up the sky as he instantly shifted into his dragon form and flew out of the large courtyard in a burst of speed that left many below gasping in awe. Gold flashed, then a large golden form went zipping after. The crowd erupted in cheers as they watched the rare sight of a royal chasing his mate.

On a ledge cut into the mountain above the courtyard, set away from the bright lights cast by the braziers down in the courtyard, the other historians were lined up at wooden desks, each with parchment and other supplies at hand to record the mating flight as they saw it. Their dragon eyes glowing in different colors as they used their enhanced sight to watch the two above. Seated at a separate desk with a hornlike contraption built into it. A young man, eyes also glowing, spoke into the mouthpiece of the horn, his clear, vibrant voice calling out what he observed above.

Hundreds of feet up in the air, Jensen took a moment to take in his surroundings. He found that he was in a large oval-shaped valley ringed by large, impressive mountains. One of them at the far end of the chain was glowing red and smoking, its flanks outlined by thin lines of lava flowing down its sides.

Below him, in the valley, were neat pasture lands and groves of fruit and nut trees. The rest was a vast woodland with a large lake, and in the center of the lake was a chalk white plateau rising straight out of the lake’s dark water. The moon above lighting it up to where it almost seemed to glow.

Sensing a presence closing in behind him, Jensen remembered the randy gold who’d thought he could claim him, the largest and strongest silver in Drake’s Helm, as a mate. Jensen would just have to show this impudent gold just who he was dealing with.

Just as he felt the gold about to latch onto him, Jensen dove straight down, evading the large paws of the golden dragon, laughing to himself as the other dragon overshot him, the bigger dragon scrambling to change his trajectory in a clumsy maneuver.

Jensen roared a mocking taunt as he leveled out above the trees and skimmed over them, putting more distance between him and the gold.

The gold roared a challenge back at him and swooped down to follow.

An hour later, those waiting in the courtyard had taken to lounges and chairs that had been brought out. They chattered amongst themselves as they dined on light fare, marveling at how long the impressive, yet new silver dragon was managing to keep the golden prince at bay. Many had started up bets before the ceremony and many were grumbling good-naturedly when their predictions for an early capture were proven wrong.

At the head of the courtyard, where Jared’s family waited on lounges of their own, Iris and Anna were collecting their winnings from Geoff and Jeffrey, having put their bets on Jensen, both women having sensed a strong mind in Jensen when they’d taken the time to get to know him while helping him dress, earlier.

Suddenly, the Caller speaks excitedly into the horn.  
“PRINCE JARED HAS CAUGHT HIM BY THE LEG! NO… LORD JENSEN HAS PULLED FREE AND CLIMBS HIGH… AGAIN!”

Everyone in the courtyard goes quiet at first, sensing the flight might be nearing its end. It was the first time Jared had managed to lay a finger on Jensen. The quiet is then shattered as new betting erupts among the wedding party.

At the far end of the valley, Jensen’s breathing echoes aloud, like bellows, as he struggles to keep a good distance between him and the annoyingly persistent gold. Seeing the active volcano ahead, he hatches up a plan to shake his pursuer for good.

Jared watched his mate carefully, trying to guess what he’d do next. He didn’t like Jensen getting too close to the volcano and decided enough was enough. Even if the heat and the lava wouldn’t hurt him, the large molten rocks the volcano sometimes spewed out could easily rip through fragile dragon wings. In his elixir-addled mind, Jensen might not realize the danger, and Jared refused to let him learn about it the hard way.

Tapping into the strength he’d held back in reserve, Jared shot forward and slammed into Jensen’s back. His heavily muscled dragon arms locking around Jensen’s smaller form, his wing claws also locking onto Jensen’s wing claws. He also twined his tail around Jensen’s; taking control of the smaller dragon’s flight. Using his stronger wings and biting down into the side of Jensen’s neck, he steered him away from the volcano and back toward the lake.

Jensen felt the heavier weight of the larger dragon settling on him and then locking onto him. He roared out in pleasure when the gold bit him and began steering him away from the volcano. He then keened loudly as the larger dragon shifted slightly, nudged at Jensen’s opening from behind once, twice and then entered him with one long and powerful push. Jensen only now realizing how wet and ready he was.

The gold –no, Jared… _‘my mate’_ \- felt impossibly large inside him. The thick girth hitting all the right spots inside him. Especially that one spot that sent sparks skittering up his spine and into his brain.

In a feat of superior wingman-ship, Jared leveled out their flight until they were gliding on a warm thermal. A rumble of pleasure centered in Jensen’s chest as Jared’s hips began to piston rhythmically. His cock stretching Jensen deliciously. Jared had twined their necks together and their heads were side by side as they glided along, Jensen now rolling his hips back to meet each thrust from Jared, a wavering croon emitting from his wide, gasping mouth.

Jared directed them to coast by the courtyard and everyone still there to observe the flight jumped to their feet, cheering loudly. On the ledge above, the historians clapped appreciatively at the beautiful sight of two dragons making love for the first time - the Caller jumping up and down and pumping his fists in the air. The historians then went back to writing and drawing as Jared turned again and headed for the white plateau in the middle of the lake.

Jensen was by then like putty in Jared’s arms, his hips moving spasmodically, pushing back at Jared in a bid for more. More of what, Jensen wasn’t sure, but he wanted more.

As they closed in on the plateau, coming down towards it in a slow glide, Jared pulled out of Jensen. Ignoring the smaller dragon’s growl of discontent, he spoke in a commanding tone, his dragon voice deep and gravelly. “Shift,” he said.

Jensen instantly shifted with Jared following him a split second later. He swung Jensen into his arms, bridal style, as they dropped to the plateau. Jared landed neatly on both feet then quickly dropped Jensen’s legs as he pulled him up against his chest, his lips capturing Jensen’s in a searing kiss, pulling at Jensen’s clothes, almost frantically. “Oh Gods, Jensen. You’re so perfect. Beautiful!”

Jensen joined him in trying to get Jared’s clothes off, too. “Where do our clothes go when we shift?” he gasped out even as Jared gave in and just ripped the tunic Jensen wore right off his body.

“Now is not the time to discuss the vagaries of magic, my love.”

Jensen now knew why their wedding clothes had been nothing but loose-fitting sleeveless tunics and loose pants held up only by ties on the sides. In what seemed like mere moments, Jared had them both completely naked and stretching out on the surprisingly soft surface of the plateau.

It felt as if he was sinking into the thickest, plushest carpet, but when Jared pulled away from their kiss and began kissing his way down the side of Jensen’s neck, he curled the fingers of one hand into the surface beneath them and realized it was a type of really thick moss.

Jared had by then reached Jensen’s chest and when he latched his oh-so-talented mouth over one nipple, Jensen felt a blurt of liquid ease out of his hole. –What the hell, am I bleeding?!– he thought as he pushed Jared off of him and sat up. He stuck a hand between his legs and carefully touched his hole. It was puffy and tender, but not painful. His fingers immediately encountered a thick slick as well. Even as his fingers brushed across the entrance, Jensen felt more of the slick easing out of him.

“Jensen? What are you doing?”

“I think there’s something wrong with me down there. Something weird,” He said as he raised his hand up to his gaze, and frowned in confusion at the nearly clear pearlescent fluid coating his two fingers. From this distance, Jensen could smell it much better too, Jared’s musky –addicting!– smell no longer overpowering the delicate, sweet smell of the slick.

“What the...” he muttered as he turned to look at Jared, only to catch his breath at the look of raw hunger and want on Jared’s face as he stared fixedly at Jensen’s fingers. “Jared, what the hell is this? Did you put this inside me?”

Jared shook his head and blinked rapidly as he returned his attention to take in Jensen’s panicked-looking expression. He hastened to explain, “No… sweetling. That is you, it’s your slick; it’s what happens when a Dragon Alpha’s mate is aroused or goes into heat. It’s most potent when in heat so right now I’m barely holding back from pushing you down and wrapping my lips around your fingers.” He finished with a lick of his lips, as his eyes flicked back to Jensen’s still upheld fingers.

“You mean to tell me I can get wet down there for the purpose of fucking?! Like a girl does?!”

“All Betas and Omegas can, baby. It’s a natural thing for Dragons,” Jared murmurs as he leans in, eyes locked on Jensen’s fingers as if entranced. When he darted forward and wrapped his lips around Jensen’s fingers, Jensen let out a strangled moan at the feeling of hot mouth and hotter tongue twisting and sucking on his fingers.

Jensen pulled his fingers free and used that hand to push Jared back a little, still determined to get some answers.

“Stop that! What are betas and omegas?”

“You are. You’re male so that makes you an omega. A female would be a beta. I’m an alpha and you are my mate. So your dragon body acclimated to make you compatible with me. Your body was already changing and the elixir you drank helped it along so that we could have a proper mating.” Jared answered, distractedly. He slid closer to Jensen and lined up their bodies, rubbing his hard length against Jensen’s hip.

“Dude, we need to slow down and talk this out. There’s so much I don’t know.”

In a perfect surfer boy imitation, Jared replied. “Dude! Less talking, more boning!”

Jensen was shocked enough to where Jared was able to ease him onto his back and climb on top of him. Then a surprised laugh burst out of him. –I can’t believe this is happening!– Then Jared lined up their cocks and ground down into him, eliciting a long moan from both of them as the delicious friction sent waves of lust and pure need through them in waves that rocked back and forth between their mental bond, doubling then tripling the pleasure.

“I’m… sorry, my love,” Jared groaned out. “Later, we will… take our time. So I can *gasp* explore every inch… *groan* of you. Your scent. Your h-heat. I need you now! Need you so bad!” Jared said, eyes lust blown, sweat darkened hair falling forward to frame his face.

Jensen reached up to cup the curve of his strong jaw. His other hand ran down Jared’s sweat-slick back, reveling in every quivering muscle, dipping into the small of Jared’s back, then curving up over the muscular globe of one ass cheek. Digging his fingers into the delectable flesh, Jensen widened his legs and pulled Jared down onto him, murmuring in a voice wracked with love and passion, “I’ve got you, baby. I’ll take care of you.”

Jared practically fell on Jensen as he dove down to catch his lips in another bruising, voracious kiss even as the blunt head of his cock pushed inside of him. They groaned almost simultaneously; Jared, at the feel of the searing heat and vise-like grip of Jensen’s soaking wet channel and Jensen, at the feel of being stretched and filled – a feeling of being complete washing over him.

Jared pushed in with a slow, yet steady pressure, Jensen hiking his legs higher on Jared’s hips. The one hand on Jared’s rear still pulling. “Ah God, Jared! Yesss! So full!”

Jared grit his teeth when he hit bottom. Forcing himself to give Jensen time to adapt. But after only a couple of minutes, he muttered another apology and pulled back, only to slam back inside of Jensen. The smaller man threw his head back, shouting out his pleasure.

Jared picked up his pace unable to stop himself. The dragon inside of him roaring its victory as Jared virtually pummeled Jensen into the soft surface of the strangely glowing plateau.

Jensen locked his legs around Jared’s slim waist, even as his hands gripped Jared’s, straining, sweaty shoulders. Finding the rhythm, Jensen snapped his hips up with every thrust from Jared, keening wildly as it caused Jared to go deeper than ever.

Jared suddenly reared back and pulled out of Jensen, his mate crying out in disappointment.

“MINE!” Jared growled, as he flipped Jensen onto his stomach and then pulled and tugged him onto his hands and knees. Jared crouched behind Jensen on one knee, his body bowed over Jensen as if he was trying to shield him.

He helped Jensen back up to his hands when his Jensen’s sweaty hands slipped on the soft moss. He held one of Jensen’s shoulders with one large hand, the other hand on Jensen’s hip to hold him still as he lined his cock back up with the omega’s quivering, wet hole. He then slammed back in with one long push. Jensen screamed as the angle had Jared hitting his prostate straight on.

“You’re so fucking perfect. My omega. My mate,” Jared gritted out as his hips pumped relentlessly into Jensen, the smaller man emitting short airy groans with every thrust.

Jensen dropped his head between his quivering arms, his lust blown gaze vaguely noting how the moss beneath them was blackening and beginning to smolder. He watched dazedly as the moss beneath his hands burst into small green flames. Amazed that he wasn’t alarmed in any way. Instead, the fire seemed to caress his fingers and the sides of his hands. Almost as if they were alive.

Looking further back along his body, he noticed the same was happening to the moss where his and Jared’s legs touched it. Some of the flames were green, some gold and they danced and twined together along where his and Jared’s limbs touched the moss.

Jared suddenly pulled Jensen into a kneeling position, Jensen arching his back as far as it will go as Jared pulled him against his wide, firm chest. One hand holding him up as the other trailed down his body and took his diamond hard cock into his large hand, stroking it in time to his thrusts.

“So close, baby.” Jared muttered in his ear, before catching the lobe in his teeth and then sucking on it briefly, before letting it go. “Gonna fill you up with my seed. Gonna knot you. Make you mine forever.”

Jensen could feel something nudging at his hole with every thrust of Jared’s hips. His eyes widened as it pushed inside his rim and then popped back out. Jensen reached between his legs to feel with the tips of his fingers. Quickly finding the large bulb at the base of Jared’s dick. –He really DOES have a knot! Holy shit!– Jensen’s mind floundered at the discovery.

Before he could entertain the idea of stopping Jared, his mate pushed the knot back inside him and then swiveled his hips; the knot pushing and rubbing up against Jensen’s prostate.

“HOLY FUCKIN’ SHIT!” He shouted, his eyes rolling back with pure ecstasy. Mewling when Jared popped it out again and went back to shallow thrusting again.

“You want it, baby? Want me to stuff you full with my knot?”

“Yes! Do it! Fuck!” Jensen cried out, feeling the pooling heat gathering low in his gut. The tingling of his limbs signaling that he was close, too.

Jared repeated the words that had started Jensen’s transformation during his rescue. They seemed to penetrate through to Jensen’s core.

_“Glacaim tú Jensen  
(I take you Jensen)  
mar mo solas, mo ghrá  
(As my light, my love)”  
“mo leath eile, m'anam  
(My other half, my soul)  
Is é mo chorp agus mo shaol mise go deo  
(My body and my life is yours forever)”_

Jared suddenly reared his head back roaring to the sky as his teeth changed to smaller versions of his dragon’s sabre-like teeth. He brought his head down in a flash and bit hard into the side of Jensen’s neck, just as he shoved his knot inside of Jensen and felt it swell to its full size. Jensen screamed as the pain from the bite and sweet stretching of the knot sent an equal rush of pleasure and pain straight through him - triggering his release. Ropes of come shot from his cock, and wherever it landed, the moss burst into bright green flame.

His whole body seized up, his channel clamping down hard on Jared’s cock knot inside him – Jared’s roar of release ringing out into the night sky. The first hot squirts setting off another orgasm inside Jensen and both men felt their bond strengthen tenfold, a wave of power blew out from them and the entire plateau burst into green and gold flames.

From the courtyard, dragons of all colors poured out. Even the Caller abandoned his post to join those in the air; rushing to celebrate the successful mating of their Prince. They swooped and dove around the plateau trumpeting out their felicitations as they circled the burning plateau in a flurry of multicolored wings.

Jared sat back tiredly on his haunches, clutching a limp and sated Jensen to his chest. He lapped at the oozing bite and then breathed his glowing breath over the wound. The ruptured skin sealed up, and a black dragon shaped mark blossomed on Jensen’s skin. Jared smiled at the last step needed to make Jensen truly his. “Forever,” he murmured, as he nuzzled his face into the side of Jensen’s neck, inhaling the combination of their scents.

As the flames began to die down, Chad flew down low, LB perched confidently on his back. As he made as close a pass as he could, LB suddenly leapt from his back, passing through the flames without harm and landing nimbly on the plateau’s scorched surface. He gamboled happily up to Jared and Jensen, throwing himself into Jensen’s weak and shaky arms.

Jensen stared up into the night sky, cradling LB and leaning back against Jared. The flames dancing lovingly around them even as they continued to die down.

Jensen’s eyes teared up as he noticed that his vision was blacking out at the edges. He knew what that meant. Before it could take him over completely, Jensen twisted to look up at Jared. Their eyes met, and Jensen sent every emotion tumbling through him over their bond, infusing it with every single feeling Jared evoked in him.

Seeing his tears, Jared frowned slightly. “Jensen? Baby, what’s wrong?”

“Jared.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t forget me.”

“What?”

“I love you,” Jensen whispered, even as his eyes closed and his mind fell into the black.

 

\-----------------IN A PENTHOUSE SOMEWHERE IN NEW YORK CITY---------------

“JENSEN!” Jared roared, desperation wracking his voice, as he jumped to his feet.

“HOLY SHIT!” Chad jumped in his seat at the desk he’d been working at, his shocked gaze shooting across the room at Jared who’d been taking a nap on the large, plush couch for the past two hours.

He rushed around the desk and ran to Jared; the tall man pacing in front of the couch, hands fisted in his hair, tugging as if he wanted to rip his own hair out.

“Jay? What’s going on, buddy? Stop that!” he shouted, as Jared’s hands tightened. He reached up and eased first one hand open, then the other.

He then reached up to rest his hands on either side of Jared’s stricken face, forcing his best friend to look at him.

“Jared, buddy… what’s wrong? Who is Jensen?” he asked, as soon as their eyes met.

In shock, he watched as his usually happy and confident friend broke; his face crumpling in misery. Not knowing what else to do, he gathered Jared into his arms as the big man began to cry as if his heart was breaking.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, I'm back on this again. I can't believe it's been 2 years since I started this fic and I still haven't give up on it. I know a big part of why is because I have some amazing friends who wouldn't let me give up on it. You know who you are.  
> Thanks for being such awesome pains in the ass. :D

“Good afternoon, Dr. Streep. Don’t usually see ya in here on a Saturday.” Said the smiling, mountain of a man seated behind the security desk of the Singer Business Center to the elegant silver-haired woman that had just entered the lobby and was making her way past the security desk.

Even if dressed only in a soft-looking heather gray cardigan, dark wash slim cut jeans, and brown leather penny loafers on her feet. Dr. Meryl Streep PhD exuded class and confidence.

“Hello, Donald. I forgot some files I’d meant to bring home with me yesterday along with my phone charger. Just popping in to pick them up then I’ll be gone again until Monday.” The woman replied with a warm smile, as she walked past him and headed for the bank of elevators.

“Uh, yes ma’am, but…” Andrew said, Meryl pausing in her stride to regard him curiously. “You have a visitor.” He finished, just as her name was called out from the seating area at the far end of the large lobby.

Meryl’s brows shot up in surprise as she spotted her high profile client and friend, Jared Padalecki, rising from one of the black leather sofas, waving nervously with one hand as he made his way toward her. He carried a black duffle bag over one shoulder and was dressed in a stretched out black tee, baggy blue jeans, brown leather flip-flops on his feet and a plain black baseball cap on his head.

To say he looked frazzled was an understatement.

“Jared?”

“Mornin’, Meryl. So sorry to bother you on your day off. I called your house earlier when I couldn’t reach you on your cell, but your housekeeper said you’d already left for the day. She told me you’d be stopping by here, so I came straight here in hopes of catching you.”

“Don’t worry about it, you’re never a bother, darlin’. My phone is dead and I dropped off my dry cleaning before coming here. Is there something wrong, Jared? Your mother, your family okay?”

“Oh yeah, yes… they’re fine. It’s me. I need your help. Can we talk?”

“Of course.” She said instantly. Thanking Andrew, Meryl turned and led Jared to the elevators. In minutes, they were walking through the dim outer office of her practice and entering the dark confines of her corner office, the long vertical blinds for her floor to ceiling windows drawn tight against the afternoon light.

Flicking on the lights, she moved to place her purse on her desk before turning to look at Jared. “Is this another issue, Jared, or is it something regarding the depression we’ve been working on?”

“I guess it might be part of the depression. I don’t know. I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

“Okay, so you don’t mind if I record our discussion again?”

“No, no… I don’t mind. Go ahead.” Jared answered, running one hand through his mussed hair.

As she stepped away to pull Jared’s file from a cabinet behind her desk, Meryl noted that the faint lines around Jared’s mouth and eyes were deepened in worry, and there were dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn’t been sleeping.

Curious and slightly alarmed, she moved behind her desk and opened a drawer. She pulled out her legal sized notepad, a pen and her digital recorder. She gestured to Jared to take a seat on the plush, brown leather couch and took a seat in the matching arm chair right across from him. She set the recorder on the low, wooden coffee table between them, opened up his file and waited until Jared was settled in. “Ready?” she asked, then pressed ‘record’ the second Jared nodded.

 

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> Transcript for digital recording – property of Dr. Meryl Streep PhD **(recording start)** MS: Jared, in accordance with the law, please state again for the record that you agree to having this session recorded. JP: I agree. MS: Thank you. So Jared… it seemed urgent that you speak to me when I met you down in the lobby. I’m usually the one who has to remind you about our sessions. We didn’t have one scheduled today, but I’m sensing something is wrong. How can I help you? JP: It’s this dream I had. It didn’t feel like the nightmares I’ve had before – but it felt So. Damn. Real! I think I’m going around the bend, Doc. I think I’m losing my mind. MS: By real, you mean as in you still feel like you’re in it when you wake up? What do you mean by ‘real’? And leave the diagnosing to the professional. You are NOT crazy. JP: I feel like I am and no, I’m aware when I’m awake – and it didn’t feel like a dream when I was having it; but it can’t be anything else BUT a dream, right? I mean, it would be crazy if it was for real. MS: I’m not sure what you mean, Jared. Tell me about the dream. JP: I was in one of my movies. _Space Mercs_ you remember it? I was Frank Barclay again only I wasn’t on a set or anything like that. I wasn’t playing him, I WAS him. It was like it was all real. The people, the smells, the taste of the recycled air for fuck’s sake… sorry. MS: Don’t worry about your cussing, you know it doesn’t bother me and I want you to express yourself without restraint. You mean your dream had a real feel to it? JP: No, I mean I didn’t feel like I was dreaming. I felt like I was really there. I could even feel the bruise I’d gotten earlier that day when Chad and I played some one-on-one basketball and he crashed into me when he went for a lay-up. I felt like was really there but it wasn’t me. MS: Okay, now you lost me again. You say you felt like you were really there but it wasn’t you? JP: Yeah, it was like I was watching from inside my own body. I could feel everything happening to me but I wasn’t in control. Frank was. To top it all off, I now have these memories in my head that weren’t there before. I think they belong to my character. I mean, as if the character was a real person! (agitated huff of breath; muffled footsteps as patient paces floor between couch and table). God! This is so hard to explain! MS: Jared… calm down. Please sit back down. What do you mean, exactly? (shuffling of fabric; sound of something heavy dropping into another object – client regains seat) JP: It’s as if I was really him! God, this is gonna sound crazy - but, if you were to give me a real laser gun, I’d know how to break it down, clean it and use it. I think I can even make one if I could get the materials. I can even explain how hyperdrive engines work on an interstellar ship and the trick to evading black holes. MS: Was this info part of your research into the character? JP: NO! I mean, c’mon! You’ve seen the movie. It’s not like it was a real brain buster. It was a parody of every space movie ever made, with a bigger budget and a passable plot. You didn’t need much of a brain for that movie. MS: Hey, I happen to enjoy _Space Mercs_ , It’s one of my guilty pleasures. JP: (chuckles) Thanks. I guess what I’m trying to say is that it didn’t feel like a dream to me. It felt like I was really there having an actual adventure – none of what happened was in the movie… and then, there was Jensen… MS: Jensen? Who is Jensen? JP: (stammers) He was… (stammers some more, claps hands together once) he was, sort of, like… my love interest. We, um… we made love. MS: You had sex… In your dream? That’s not unusual, Jared… JP: Yes, I know… but this was different. I don’t know! It felt so damn real. Even when I woke up I could still feel his touch, hear his voice… I could smell him on me! It wasn’t JUST a dream, Meryl. (silence for 2 minutes) JP: Then, there’s this. (sound of zipper on duffle bag opening) I had to bring her here ‘cos I knew if I just told you about her, you wouldn’t believe me. (sound of light tapping on glass top of coffee table, a new voice speaks up) \----: Hi there! You have a lovely office, great shiny kudos to your decorator! MS: (choking sounds, loud gasps and inarticulate mumbling) Th-that’s ‘Red’ from your movie! She’s gotta be a toy, please tell me she’s a toy, Jared! JP: Afraid not. I don’t think we even have the technology to make someone like Red. You can touch her, Mer. She’s real. MS: Oh my God! Did it just shake hands by using my finger?! (Toy/Action figure heretofore to be named Red) RED: Yes human, I did. You and the boss here are abnormally large for some reason. But protocol is protocol. It is common human practice to shake hands when making the acquaintance of someone new or reuniting with persons one may have professional dealings with, or when greeting ones they know in an amicable nature. MS: (indecipherable screams and shouts, glass breaking) (recording stop) (recording start) MS: Okay… Jared. Off recording, you stated that there ARE no action figures made that walk and talk on their own. That this one was a normal, non-moving, non-talking collectible on a shelf in your home until you woke up this morning. Is this correct? JP: Yep! (chuckles). MS: Let’s go over how it is doing what it’s doing if it actually isn’t supposed to even exist. That is, if you can control yourself and quit laughing at me? JP: Sorry, sorry… (choked laughter cuts off) RED: (muffled thumping noises) My name is Red and you are Dr. Meryl Streep PhD. MS: (small gasp of surprise) How do you know my name, and why are you climbing my bookshelf? RED: Your certification displayed on your wall told me your name. (thumping noise then a loud bang of something falling to the floor) Oh I apologize if that was a valuable book, Dr. Streep. I am immensely curious about your over-large world here, and books have always been a good source of information whenever a net-link isn’t available. Also, if you’ll pardon my assertiveness, but I am not an ‘it’ or a ‘thing’, just as you are not a ‘monkey’ or a ‘Neanderthal’. Why don’t we avoid labels altogether and just use our names and official titles, huh? JP: (snorted breath, stifled chuckles) MS: (choking sound, huff of breath) Well, I never… (gusty sigh) Fine. I will respect your names and titles if you will respect mine. Note: Red appears to be a tiny, human woman in her early 20s. She is approximately 5 or 6 inches tall with a slim, athletic build. She has bright red hair cut in a short pixy style, and is wearing a mishmash of earth-toned clothing similar to ones the actress Felicia Day wore during her portrayal of the character in JP’s movie ‘Space Mercs’. After our introductions were complete and the amazing creature was given a book to read, I encouraged JP to continue his story. MS: Okay… okay. I’m going to be okay, Jared. You can get that half-worried, half-amused expression off your face. I’m not gonna freak out. JP: It’s okay, if you do. I did when I first saw her. RED: He screamed like a little girl. (sound of a page being turned) JP: I did not! RED: (sound of male screams) JP: (annoyed huffs of breath) Well, can you blame me? I can’t believe you recorded me! RED: It was funny as heck, boss. I had to. JP: Stop calling me ‘boss’! RED: (sighs) Fine… Jared! MS: Hate to interrupt this highly amusing conversation… JP: (mock gasp of outrage) RED: (tiny giggle) MS: … but this is supposed to be my day off. No, I said I don’t mind, Jared. Don’t start apologizing again. But I would like to continue on; having met Red, I must admit that I am much more interested in hearing the rest. JP: There’s not much else to tell, Meryl. We acted out a short plot that centered around me-slash-Frank getting Prince Jensen away from an evil mastermind and to the safety of my ship. MS: ‘Prince’ Jensen? JP: He was a prince… (sighs) a beautiful prince. RED: Yeah, he was hot. (sighs) Okay, okay… no need for the death glares, Jare. I know he’s off limits to anyone but you. JP: You’re not allowed to call me Jare, either. RED: FINE! (louder tapping on glass surface of coffee table) JP: Keep stomping on that glass, Red, and you’re gonna end up breaking it. MS: Let’s get back on topic, guys. Jared, tell me about Jensen. What did you mean by you could still feel and smell him? It could be a manifestation of your mind making your dream seem extra real. JP: Maybe. I mean that would explain it all, but then how does it explain Red? She was in my ‘dream’, and now she’s here. Mini-sized, but here. MS: Red, how did you end up in Jared’s home? Did someone bring you to him and he maybe can’t remember it. RED: No, last thing in my memory chip is being on the ship. I had welcomed Prince Jensen onboard and when they went off to the Captain’s quarters I went about my duties. I was translating some incoming communication at my station and then I was in Frank’s, I mean Jared’s abode here, in this reality. MS: Reality? RED: The cabinet I was in was locked. I had many hours to think while in there, as well as when Jared was freaking out… JP: I wasn’t freaking out. RED: Like a girl, Jay. You screamed like a girl and then paced about your abode waving your arms about like a true drama queen. JP: You’re not allowed to call me that, either! And maybe I should just put you BACK in the cabinet. MS: GUYS! Jared… Red… all this bickering is not helping. And Red… aren’t you programmed to take orders from Frank a.k.a. Jared? Why are you deliberately baiting him? RED: It is part and parcel of my main directives, doctor. I am not only to assist him in his work, but I am also his protector. Sometimes, I even have to protect him from himself. JP/MS: Protector?! RED: Yes, I was gifted to Frank-Jared to be his in all ways. His closest confidant, his personal assistant and his sexual companion. JP: (choking noise) RED: My programmer was not aware that his sexual preferences ran towards the male gender and so that directive was made null and void. I have since had to devise other means of stimulating him in ways that the benefit of sexual release would’ve accomplished. MS: Oh. (nervous chuckle) I see. RED: You see, doctor. Research in our reality has proven that humans whose job takes them on long space voyages tend to feel a disconnect from what makes them human. Sure, there are other humans on the ship with them, but in the cases of ship captains, who often do not fraternize with their crew in order to keep a tight running ship, and to avoid any problems that may arise from new or broken relationships, they feel an even stronger disconnect and often fall into depressions that can negatively affect their work or cause them to harm themselves; and in some cases terminate their life. MS: Interesting… JP: I DID sense in Frank, or in me, a deep, kind of… loneliness. That feeling seemed to lighten and then disappear as he… I, spent more time with Jensen. When we… uh, made love. Frank’s mind was flooded with a rush of feelings and the word ‘home’ kept repeating in his, our mind. MS: How did you feel at the time, Jared? JP: I sort of… felt the same way. I mean… there was something about him. MS: Frank? JP: No… Jensen. MS: Well, Jared. If it weren’t for Red here, I’d advise you to cut back on work and to take a vacation. Maybe even suggest a sleeping aid and a mild sedative. However, seeing as how Red IS actually right in front me, I’ve touched her so I know she’s real. My preliminary diagnosis is that all this is not the ill effects of stress, exhaustion or lack of sleep, although I still think you need to take more care of your health and get more rest. JP: Yes, ma’am. So, if I’m not hallucinating all this, what’s wrong with me? MS: Nothing. I think Red and this ‘really real’ dream of yours is something outside of my field of expertise. I know someone that can help… maybe. She deals in the occult, and has a lot of insight into the craft. JP: You mean, witchcraft? You trying to tell me you think this is all some kind of magic and you, a licensed psychiatrist, believes in it? MS: (exasperated huff of breath) Forget those badly made Hollywood movies. They are nowhere near the truth. There are no evil witches or warlocks. As it is with say, a gun or a powerful secret; it all depends on the individual and the goodness or evil inside of them. My friend knows her stuff. Will you allow me to consult with her? JP: Yeah, okay fine. Let’s just add to the craziness. I need to get going. Got a bunch of new scripts in today I need to go over. Thanks so much for listening, Meryl. I know it’s your job, but you didn’t have t believe me, and even with Red there, you could’ve easily disbelieved me and probably have me take some tests and stuff. MS: Jared… when your mother came to me and asked me to see you professionally, I nearly turned her down. With your mother being the closest to a sibling I’ve ever known, our long history together and being godmother to Jeff could’ve been a conflict of interest that could’ve impeded my ability to help you. But we agreed that in our sessions that I would be Dr. Meryl to you and not Aunty Meryl. JP: I know, Meryl. I’ve been appreciative of you taking me on as a client. I don’t think I’d ever have gotten any help if it were anyone but you. MS: It’s been working for us these past 2 years since your depressions started, but I am still at the core, your friend, Jared. I have loved you and your siblings from the moment you were all born. Something odd is happening here, sure. But I would never just write you off without exploring every option and explanation there is, and only as the very last resort, if for any reason I believe you have become a danger to yourself. Do you understand? JP: Yes, I do. MS: There is something extraordinary going on here, Jared. Remember what your Grandpa Joe, bless his memory, used to say about magic? JP: That there’s a whole lot to this world that humans can’t comprehend or don’t see. When magic decides to touch your life, you cherish it and hang on to it with all your might. Do you believe in magic, Meryl? MS: I may be slightly overeducated and have the certification to prove it, but even I would never discount anything Grandpa Joe said. **(Recording stop. End session: 1535 hours)**

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**Even if only a handful of people know that Jared didn’t actually live in the fancy penthouse he maintained in the heart of the city - but actually lived on this quiet street, in a modest, yet elegant brownstone that he was soon driving up the driveway to. He drove along the driveway around the side of the house and into the two-port garage in the back yard that was attached to the back of the house – he wasn’t a bit surprised to see the stocky shadow of a man sitting on the work bench inside his garage. Even if the man’s upper body was still in shadows, Jared knew who it was.**

**The grating voice that rang out from the man only served to confirm his identity. “DUDE!” the obviously irate man yelled as soon as Jared climbed out of his midnight blue Chevy Silverado.**

**Knowing his best friend and manager so well, Jared rushed to assuage the shorter, older man before his blood pressure could skyrocket any higher.**

**“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I had something to do and I just forgot to call you.” Jared said as he walked around his car, Chad coming out of the gloom to meet him at the front of the car.**

**“Forgot? FORGOT! Seriously Jay? That’s all you have? We’ve only been doing our Saturday morning brunches for the past six years! What did you have to do so badly this morning that you’d forget our brunch and leave me sitting there alone, like a fuckin’ loser!”**

**“Well, if the shoe fits.” Jared chuckled, a smirk twisting his lips as his friend huffed in outrage.**

**“Yeah well, would a loser have ordered for his best friend his favorite pizza and wings meal, and then have them box it up so that he could bring it to you in case you hadn’t eaten anything today?”**

**Jared’s chuckles chopped short as he finally noticed the white box and paper bag left on the work counter behind Chad – the logo for their favorite sports bar and grill visible even from where Jared was standing. “You got me pizza from Romano’s? Gimme!”**

**Chad snatched up the food and stomped over to the large trash bin that was filled with moldy leaves and oily rags. “Nuh-uh… not until you tell me where you were today.” He growled at Jared who was practically dancing with worry on the other side of the large trash bin. “CHAD! That’s not fair. Withholding food from me is blackmail.”**

**“I don’t give a rat’s ass!”**

**Jared paused and stared in shock, one hand reaching out beseechingly. “You wouldn’t!” he exclaimed.**

**In one hand Chad held the now open bag containing Jared’s wings above the bin, threatening to tip it all in.**

**“Chad, c’mon man! You know I can’t have the pizza without the wings! Eating one without the other is just WRONG!”**

**“The pizza will go next if you don’t start talking!”**

**“Okay, okay don’t do anything we’ll both regret… me, mostly, cos’ I’m friggin’ starving!” Jared grumbled then sighed in defeat. “Fine, you win! I went to see Meryl, okay?”**

**“Meryl… why? You’re not scheduled for therapy until next month. Did something happen? Are you okay?” Chad frowned, concern deepening the lines on his face.**

**“I don’t know, man. You’re gonna think I’m crazy.”**

**“Hello? Have you met me? I invented ‘crazy’ or have you forgotten all the insane shit I used to do?”**

**“What do you mean ‘used to’? Wasn’t it just last week when you doctored the champagne fountain at that charity function so that each level was a different color and the whole damn display looked like a unicorn threw up on it?”**

**“Hey, I could tell you were dead bored so I wanted to cheer you up. You’re gay, you should’ve loved that shit, I was showing my support for your big gay ass! Now quit stalling and tell me why you had to go see Meryl.”**

**“I can’t believe you’re older than me and you’re my manager.”**

**“Fuck off, you love me, bitch! Now, for the last time, talk!”**

**“I needed to speak to her about a dream I had.”**

**“A dream?”**

**“Yeah.”**

**“Like the nightmares you’ve had before?”**

**“No, it was nothing like my nightmares, haven’t had those in months. Just like a really real, but weird dream that I can’t get out of my head.”**

**“You’re starting to piss me off, Padalecki. Just spit it out already, and stop hemming and hawing; tell me all of it!”**

**“Fine… c’mon.” Jared sighed, he grabbed his pizza and wings out of Chad’s hands and turned toward his back door; unocking, disengaging the alarm and walking into his kitchen. “If I’m gonna go over all of this again I want a beer with my food. Grab my bag out of the passenger seat would ya? And be careful with it, don’t squash her.” He called out.**

**Chad had already been leaning in Jared’s open passenger window having noticed the bag and knowing Jared wouldn’t want to leave it behind. Grabbing at the straps of the duffel bag when Jared called out his last words. “Don’t squash her? Don’t squash who?”**

**Suddenly a muffled, tiny voice spoke from inside the bag. “He meant me. Don’t squash me.”**

**Chad’s eyes bugged out of his skull as a tiny hand poked through the gap left by the partially zipped bag. It pushed the zipper further to make the gap bigger and then a tiny redheaded woman pushed her upper body through the gap and smiled and waved jauntily up at Chad. “Sergeant Chad! Nice to see you again. Wow, you need to lay off the juice, Sarge. You look really old!”**

**Jared was leaning far into his fridge to pull out a 6-pack of beer when the high-pitched, strident scream rang out from the back yard causing him to jump and slam the back of his head into the fridge. Holding one hand to the back of his head and grimacing in pain, Jared whipped around to look at the back door in time to see Chad - eyes bugging, face pale, running in and past Jared heading further into the house, exactly where, Jared didn’t know.**

**He then heard light footsteps tapping across the back stoop and turned to see Red stomping angrily in the back door, ranting when she spotted Jared.**

**“Well, the moron didn’t squash me. But he DID drop the bag and therefore me before running off screaming like a little girl!” Red huffed, indignantly. “I’m an expensive model, Jared, breaking me would be very costly - why are you laughing?!”**

**Jared was red-faced with laughter, waving one placating hand at the irate android before heading off to find Chad. He wasn’t looking forward to having to go through the whole ordeal of explaining his dream and how Red came to be, but the sight of Chad running from a woman no longer than his forearm lightened his mood in a way he hadn’t realized he needed.**

**Jared was sure that a week from now, he STILL wouldn’t know how to explain Red to everyone else in his life, but he was also sure he’d forget Jensen and the whole weird dream and go on with his life as usual. Why he felt a sudden pang of regret deep within him, Jared wasn’t sure.**

**++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++**

****SUNDAY MORNING** **

**Meryl stood at Jared’s kitchen sink gazing out the window. Past the garage and the cobbled driveway to the lush garden beyond to where a longely figure sat on a decorative wrought iron bench.**

**Standing right beside her, staring worriedly at the same scene, Chad ran a weary hand over his face. “He’s been like that for over an hour. But for an hour before that I had to hold him as he cried in a way I haven’t seen him cry in a long time. Not since his Gammy died.”**

**“And he hasn’t said a word the whole time?”**

**“Just kept muttering about someone named ‘Jensen’ and about how he’s gone and he needs him back. It was like he was losing his mind Merl!”**

**“He’s missing Prince Jensen.”**

**Chad and Meryl startled and turned around to see Red standing in the doorway.**

**“Yeah.” Chad muttered, swallowing nervously. “There’s THAT, too.”**

**“Hello Red.”**

**“Hello Doctor Streep.”**

**“Wait you know about this… this… whatever this is?!” Chad exclaimed.**

**“Yes, Jared told me about his dream and introduced me to Red in my office yesterday.”**

**“Oh, he didn’t tell me you knew about it… her.”**

**Red smiled at Chad’s switching of pronouns as she nimbly jumped to pull herself up onto one of the kitchen chairs and then from there, pulled herself up onto the solid wooden table. She then perched on the salt shaker as she fixed a serious stare on the two normal-sized humans.**

**“I don’t know what happened to the Captain, uhhh…Jared this morning when he woke up in the study but I was with him when he first met Prince Jensen. I’ve had time to think over all that has happened and I’m convinced that Jared was pulled into an alternate reality based off of his film Space Mercs… looked it up for research and I must say that my character was very engaging and really, the actress Felicia stole the show…”**

**“Red.” Meryl prodded with an amused smile.**

**“Oh yeah, sorry. Well, I don’t know how I got pulled out of that reality when I know I am clearly myself, an android manufactured at an Old Earth facility and then purchased by Captain Frank Barclay to be the Protocol Officer for his ship. I had no knowledge of Jared Padalecki or that my reality was make-believe, created solely for entertainment. If I wasn’t as practical as I was programmed to be I think I’d find that disturbing on some level but I don’t.”**

**“But who is this Jensen?” gritted Chad, obviously fighting to remain patient.**

**“I am not sure. The Prince Jensen in the ‘dream’… yes, that’s what I’ll call it, is not in the original movie but neither was that whole mission to rescue him.”**

**All three of them started when a loud musical tolling filled the air.**

**“Great… visitors.” Chad muttered as he turned to head out of the kitchen to answer the front door.**

**Meryl rushed to follow him. “That must be my friend. I texted her the address and asked her to come. I told her it was an emergency. Red, please wait here, I’ll be introducing you to her but I don’t want to shock her right off the bat.”**

**Chad slowed to let Meryl get the door. “A friend? What kind of friend? I don’t know if Jared would want his private business shared with just anybody.”**

**Meryl held up one elegant hand to forestall his questions as she pulled open the door and greeted the young, pretty woman waiting on the other side. Chad watched with a suspicious air as they hugged and greeted each other warmly. His eyebrows flew up when Meryl and the stranger began talking to each other while also using sign language.**

**“Shoshanna darling, so nice to see you again. It’s been too long and to have to do it under these circumstances.”**

**“Meryl, it’s always a pleasure no matter the occasion.” The stranger replied, her voice flat and lacking of inflections. Chad immediately understood that she was deaf. “You said it was an emergency and you needed my help. You know I’d drop anything for you after all you’ve done for me.”**

**“Pssh – I did nothing but my job.”**

**The woman rolled her eyes playfully as if she’d heard it before and still didn’t believe it.**

**Meryl ushered her into the house and closed the door behind her. “I’d like to introduce you to an old friend of mine, Chad Michael Murray… this is Shoshanna Stern, a good friend I met last year and had the privilege of helping and Chad is the best friend of my godson, and like a godson, too.”**

**Chad smiled warmly at Meryl before turning to smile at the woman, liking how the young woman blushed before taking his hand in a firm grip. She was obviously too young for him, but it still stoked his ego to see that his once famous charm was still effective.**

**Meryl and Chad took Shoshanna into the parlor and sat her down. Surprisingly, they only needed about 15 minutes to tell her the whole story and have her believe them. She shocked them further when she jumped up from the settee she had settled on and rushed down the hall to the kitchen, eager to meet Red.**

**Chad and Meryl exchanged relieved yet befuddled looks.**

**By the time they got to the kitchen, Shoshanna, or Shanna as she preferred, had taken a seat at the kitchen table, introduced herself to Red and had struck up a conversation with her. Looking up at Meryl and Chad hovering in the doorway staring slack-jawed at her – Shanna laughed at the looks on Meryl and Chad’s faces. “I don’t know why you’re so surprised Merl. I told you how I was raised and all the wonderful, terrible things I’ve seen. Compared to some of the really crazy, pardon my French, doody I’ve experienced because of my mother, this is a cakewalk.”**

**“I’m sorry…” Chad stepped between the two women, pointing at the two women with both hands. “…what’s this about ‘terrible’ things and what does her mother have to do with Jared? I’m assuming that’s why you invited her here, Meryl?”**

**“Yes, I invited her here, hoping she could help Jared. As for her mother, I think she should be the one to explain.”**

**When Chad looked back at Shanna, he saw that she’d been distracted by Red. The tiny droid had discovered a blue gummi bear Jared must’ve accidentally dropped between the salt and pepper shakers. Red had picked it up and was now cuddling it as if it was a teddy bear or a pet.  
Shanna was smiling adoringly down at the little woman, and though he’d never admit it out loud, even Chad found the little scene just all kinds of cute and Chad refused to be the one to tell the droid that her new toy was actually something to be eaten.**

**Suddenly, muttering some language Chad had never heard, Shanna snapped her fingers and the blue candy bear turned into what looked like an actual baby bear – only, it was Red-sized. Red pulled it into her arms and began jumping up and down excitedly the little bear looking startled but hanging on to Red trustingly.**

**“WHAT THE HELL… HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!” Chad gaped at Shanna.**

**In her clear, yet clipped speech, Shanna grinned cheekily at Chad. “I’m the daughter of a very powerful Gypsy witch and a witch in my own right. When Meryl described what Jared had told her it sounded familiar, like something I’d seen done before. But when you told me about Red here, it finally clicked.”**

**“What clicked and what do you mean you’re a Gypsy witch? You sure don’t dress like any Gypsy I’ve ever seen and last I checked, the name ‘Stern’ is of Yiddish origin. Are there many Jewish Gypsies out there, then?”**

**“I find it amusing that you know the origin of the name, but Stern is my married name. My maiden name is Lovewell. I grew up watching her work her magic, and I even tried to be her apprentice for a couple of years, but I never had the knack. I could only handle simple, basic magic and though she never showed it, I could tell she was disappointed. It led to some bitter fights and rebellion and I ended up running away from home when I was 18 and never went back.”**

**“I’m sorry.” Chad said, genuinely sad for the young woman.**

**“It’s okay. I think I turned out fine. I met the love of my life and married him and now have two wonderful children.” Shanna paused to wipe her face with a napkin from a dispenser Red had pushed over to her. “Thank you, Red. Anyways, my daughter’s the reason why I went to see Meryl that first time.”**

**Chad looked at Meryl who only smiled and gestured for Shanna to finish.**

**“I was a total mess ‘cos I was missing my mother after my family and I had gone through some very hard times last year. My mother had been such a prominent figure in my life and after nearly losing my family, it made me realize how precious family is. My children will never know what a wonderful grandmother they could’ve had in their lives. Anyways, during one of my breakdowns in Meryl’s office, my magic got away from me and Meryl saw it. That’s when I told her all about my family’s legacy and history.”**

**“So what did you mean something clicked? What clicked?” Chad said urgently.**

**“What Jared is going through sounds a lot like a Soulmate’s Dreamwalk. It’s actually even a component in a prophecy I was taught when I was a child.”**

**“A what-walk?”**

**“There are regular dreamwalks that help you to see your true inner self and the true selves of those closest to you. Those dreamwalks are for clarity closure and are usually harmless.”**

**“But Jared’s is different and not so harmless?”**

**“Jared sounds like he’s going through a lot more than a run-of-the-mill clarity walk. A Soulmate Dreamwalk is BIG magic. Only a witch or wizard of great power could pull it off. And my mother is one of only three in all of North America that has that kind of juice.”**

**“So how do these dreamwalks work?” Meryl asked, taking a seat at the table. Chad following her example.**

**“My mother only does them as repayment for great favors done for her or our family. This is very big magic that can affect many so you have to be someone really special to be granted this gift.”**

**“Seems more like a curse than a gift. I mean, look at my Boy sitting out there!” Chad gestured to the window, Shanna standing to look out at Jared briefly, but could only see his back, before turning back and sitting down.**

**“Now you’re sure Jared hasn’t recently done a great favor for some old Gypsy, right?”**

**“Yeah, I’m sure.”**

**“So this Jensen must be the beneficiary. This spell has the signature of my mother’s magic all over it. I’d know it, anywhere, just from your descriptions. Whoever this Jensen is, he did something to earn a dreamwalk that lets you explore your wildest dreams with the one person in the world made specifically for you. Your soulmate.”**

**“So this Jensen is a real person and he’s probably back in your hometown bopping about with your mama?” asked Chad.**

**Shanna nodded.**

**There was a scuffling noise behind her that Shanna of course didn’t hear. But when she noticed everyone’s gaze shifting in the same direction she turned to look for herself and saw the red-rimmed, puffy hazel eyes of the Oscar-winning movie star smiling softly down at her. Even with his rumpled clothing, wild hair and tear-blotched face, and also a happily married woman, Shanna found herself nearly struck dumb at the sheer gorgeousness of Jared Padalecki.**

**“Mr. Padalecki!” Shanna exclaimed, then whipped about to stare incredulously at Meryl. “You didn’t tell me your godson was THE Jared Padalecki!”**

**“Shanna Stern?” Jared asked.**

**“Wait, you two know each other?” Chad asked.**

**“Meryl…” Shanna said forcefully to the older woman. “This is Jay. The Jay I couldn’t tell you about. The one who saved my family!”  
Meryl frowned then gasped in realization. “Oh! My Jared is Jay! I never suspected he was who you talked about.”**

**“I’m confused.” Chad said as if making an announcement.**

**“I’ll fill you in later, Chad. But Shanna I need to know now, you said Jensen is real, not just some dream I made up?”**

**Shanna nodded. “If I know spells, especially my Mama’s, I can almost guarantee it.”**

**Jared suddenly beamed, and Shanna nearly went into another staring fit. Meryl tapped Shanna’s arm to get her attention and signed to her one simple statement.**

**‘I think it’s time to go back home, Shoshannah.’**


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And the plot thickens.... ;)

Jensen sat in the passenger seat of his beat-up yellow hatchback staring at the long, tree-lined cobbled road stretching out before them.

Rachel, in the driver’s seat, cleared her throat in an attempt to get his attention. When that didn’t work, she reached over and poked his arm… hard.

“Ow,” Jensen complained, turning to glare at the woman.

“It’s getting hot in this death-trap you call a car, Jen. Are we doing this or not? If not, I wanna go back to town and hit V’s for a frosty mocha frappe.”

“Oh my God, that DOES sound really good! Maybe, we should just wait…”

“NO!” Rachel shouted, her cheeks flushed red, eye bright with what looked like a manic light. “My apartment is in shambles, you were completely out of it after that vortex thing-y dropped you on the floor! I couldn’t wake you up! I had to leave you where you were lying ‘cause you’re too big for me to lift and I was terrified, Jensen! I tried calling Malia but got nowhere, I didn’t know what to do! I could’ve called the cops but what could I say to them that wouldn’t land me in the loony bin?!”

Jensen stared sheepishly at her as she continued recounting all that she’d been through while he was gone. He was grateful the woman hadn’t called the cops because even he would’ve had a hard time explaining. He never was really good at lying. 

“THEN!” Rachel shouted on a gusty exhale. “A bright flash surrounding your body nearly blinds me and when I can see again, there you are… naked, skin smoldering enough to blacken the carpet you were sitting on with a baby goat in your arms!”

From the backseat of the car, LB gave a warbling little bleat as if he knew she was talking about him.

“And it is so creepy how he always seems to understand what we’re saying. Also, why is he so small? I’ve never seen a goat that small before. He’s like the size of a puppy!”

“I don’t know, maybe he’s like one of those pygmy goats, only he wasn’t that small in that other world – in my dream, delusion whatever you call it. I don’t know, Rachel! I don’t know anything! All I know is I need to get back to Jared! I know he’s probably going crazy right now.

“Last but definitely not least, Jensen…”

“I know.”

“You know?”

“Yes Rach, I know! On top of all that you just said, I turn up looking like this!” Jensen snapped as he leaned back against the door of the car to point at his swelling stomach under his shirt.

“Pregnant.” Rachel snapped out.

“Don’t say that!” Jensen practically screeched.

“I’m sorry, but what else could it be?!”

“I’m just fat now. That’s all!”

“Fat people don’t have a distended stomach that is as firm as a stone with something that pulses and ripples when you touch it.”

“Okay fine, I have an Alien in my stomach and pretty soon it’ll come bursting out of me.”

“Oh my god, don’t say THA-AT!” Rachel exclaimed, horrified.

“Then stop prodding me! I’ve got this bitch of a headache no amount of Tylenol can get rid of and I don’t know any more than you do, that’s why we’re going to see Lovewell.”

“Are we? ‘Cos we’ve been sitting here for the past 20 minutes just staring at a street!”

"I’m just a little thrown off here. I haven’t been down here since I was a young kid; last time I saw this place it was a large circle of colorful wagons and fire pits with big iron cauldrons hanging over them. Now, look at this place! Are we even in the right place?”

Rachel peered out the windshield at the tidy modern street before them with large, identical townhomes running down one side of the street. Every house in the same, odd design, all made of the same gray stone. Maybe it was some kind of new wave architecture she didn’t get, but it just looked weird to her.

Rachel and Jensen jumped when a young boy, about 13 or so, seemed to come out of nowhere, pushing Rachel’s arm off the door’s windowsill so that he could rest his forearms there while he peered inside the car. His quick, brown eyes taking in the contents of the car. Eyes widening when they landed on LB, the baby goat cocking his head to the side as he stared right back at the boy.

Jensen could tell right when the boy noticed the dragon mark on LB’s head and knew without a doubt that the boy wanted LB for his own. So he wasn’t at all surprised by what came out of the boy’s mouth when he finally spoke.

“This is Lovewell Lands.” The boy made a wide sweeping gesture of the homes that ran all the way around the large parklands in the middle. “No wagons anymore. We stopped roaming when Mother Lovewell took over leadership. Now we have lands, we live here. I can take you to Mother Lovewell, but you must pay me first.”

“Pay you? You got some nerve, kid!” Rachel exclaimed in an offended tone. “I’m not giving you any money. We don’t even know you. We can find her on our own.”

“My name is Bram. No money needed, pretty lady. I’ll take the goat.”

“NO!” Jensen answered quickly. “He’s not hers, he’s mine and he’s not for sale.”

“How about barter? I have the best fighting rooster---.” 

“No.” Jensen repeated.

Bram tightened his lips in consternation but tried again. “C’mon man. You live in town. That’s no place for a Capra magie [magic goat]. I would take such good care of him. He would live here, this place is like a paradise for your beautiful goat.”

“NO!” Jensen repeated even more firmly.

Bram looked immensely disappointed but didn’t say any more on the subject. He stepped back and motioned toward a small parking lot Jensen just then noticed was set to the side of the main gates. “You have to park and walk in. No outsider cars allowed on Lovewell Lands.”

“You’re really not gonna help us and tell us where to go because of a goat?” Rachel asked.

“Tchah… you turned down the deal. You find your own way. Sorry, but that’s the way it is here. You have to give to get.”

Before Rachel could turn the car into the parking lot, Bram yelled out. “Mister, you change your mind and want to sell your Capra magie you think of Bram, yes?”

“My what?”

“Your goat.”

“Never gonna happen, Bram!”

“I’m just saying!” the stubborn boy called back, big grin on his face.

As Rachel parked and Jensen got out of the car, he turned to watch as Bram grabbed a skateboard that had been leaning just to the side of the impressive large iron gates. He waved at Jensen then skated in through the gates, down the street and soon out of sight. Jensen turned to clasp the leash on the harness LB was wearing then helped the tiny goat out of the car, placing him gently on the ground. “Ready for a stroll, LB?”

The little goat gamboled playfully behind them as Jensen hooked Rachel’s arm with one of his, did a skipping kind of hop and led her down the cobbled sidewalks, humming merrily to himself.

Rachel laughed when she realized what he was humming and joined him. Then, as if cued they began singing the well-known song.

”We’re off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz…!”

******************************

Twenty feet in from the main gates, the road and sidewalks dropped into a gentle slope before them. From that vantage, Rachel and Jensen were able to get a better look at the parkland that sat smack dab in the center of the little gypsy suburb. The beautifully kept park had paths bordered by flowered hedges; the blooms of every color imaginable. 

There were large shade trees in the upper region of the park with sturdy-looking picnic tables and Adirondack chairs scattered about. Most of the rest of park was made up of lone shade trees with large grassy swards surrounding them. In the open grassy areas, people in colorful clothing ran, danced, or walked and lounged about on the verdant, bright green grass. Some were juggling, others walking a tightrope strung between two trees. Children ran wild in all directions and everything just looked inviting and fun – and at the very bottom of the large square Jensen could just make out an oval-shaped pond with what looked like ducks of all colors swimming about in it. They couldn’t quite see the side directly opposite of them because of the trees, and because the land seemed to be wider rather than long. Also, the hedges were taller further toward the center making what seemed to be a simple maze.

LB made it known that it wasn’t just humans gamboling about in the park, bawling softly at a large, white female goat that had stepped out from an opening in the bordering hedges. She clattered on sure hooves across the street and headed straight for LB. Three very tiny frisky baby goats, or kids, following in her wake.

“Aw hell…” Jensen muttered to himself. “Is there a cliff around here, too?”

“Pardon?” Rachel asked.

“Nothing,” Jensen replied, biting back a grin as he thought of when he’d first met LB.

Jensen smirked as a rumpled, red-faced girl stumbled out from the hedges after them, holding one baby goat in her arms and reaching to grab another. “Incapatanata mama [Stubborn mama]! Babies belong in their crib. Traian, ei sunt aici! [Traian, they’re over here!]” Rachel and Jensen could hear the voice of what sounded like a young boy answering her beyond the hedges getting closer, but couldn’t make out if he was actually talking to the young girl or just cursing.

LB bleated at her when she snatched up a second baby goat, and the young girl skidded to a halt, her mouth dropping open in surprise. “Oh! I’m sorry I didn’t see you there.”

“Hello,” Rachel smiled at the pretty picture the young girl made in her cornflower blue dress and ponytails with matching ribbons.

Jensen suddenly realized he knew the girl. “Emily!” He called out, smiling at the dark-haired, blue-eyed little girl he and Rachel had saved that day they’d first met. Rachel’s smile widened as she also recognized the girl.

“Mr. Jensen… Miss Rachel? You’re here!” Emily exclaimed, grinning brightly, lifting one foot to rest on top of the other for a couple seconds then switching. Jensen then realized she was barefoot and standing on concrete that the sun had probably been baking for several hours.

Jensen gestured for her to step onto the grassy sward between the hedge and the sidewalk. She smiled in thanks, finally registering her discomfort. “Oh, but wait! I have to catch the babies. They’re not safe out in the open. Stray dogs and hawks can get them.”

“Emily! Unde esti? [Emily, where are you?]”

“I’m over here! That’s my big brother, Traian,” she said, matter-of-factly. “You want to meet him? He will help me catch the babies. He’s sixteen, and a pain. He’s always telling me what to do.”

Jensen bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing, and it looked like Rachel was striving to hold back her own laugh as she answered the little girl. “I think that’s what big brothers and sisters are for. It’s their job to look after you, and to be big pains.”

Just then, the sound of footsteps and the rustling of foliage announced the arrival of more than just the girl’s brother. When he came bursting out of the opening in the high hedge, there was no doubt to either adult that the teenaged boy and little girl were related. Both having the same raven locks, pale skin and cobalt blue eyes. However, the two other boys that followed him definitely didn’t look related to Emily or Traian, but Jensen didn’t want to just assume, so he was prepared to greet them all amicably.

Jensen sensed the moment Traian’s worry for his sister turned into suspicion of him and Rachel, however.

Stepping to put himself in front of Emily, the boy, Traian Jensen assumed, looked him and Rachel up and down, suspicion prominent on his handsome features. “Who are you? Why are you on Lovewell lands and what were you doing with my sister?” The two other boys flanked the siblings, their faces grim. They both looked to be close in age to Traian, but one was taller yet leaner than Traian while the other was much larger in bulk and height than all of them there.

Traian ignored little Emily, who was tugging on one of his hands and trying to get him to look at her.

“Hello Traian,” Rachel answered. “Mrs. Lovewell asked us to come out here to see her.”

“My Nana invited outsiders to our Land? You lie! She never invites anyone even if the rest of the family often have visitors, Mother Lovewell never does. Ouch! Emily, what is it? Why did you bite me?!” Traian shouted, holding one hand to his chest.

“I’m trying to tell you. They’re not outsiders. That’s Jensen and that’s Rachel. My ingeri pazitori. [My guardian angels.]”

Traian gasped, then looked immediately repentant. “You’re the ones who saved Emily that day at the video store? I am so sorry. Please, if you’ll let us return the goats first, we’d be honored to show you the way to Mother Lovewell.”

“Okay,” Jensen agreed, shaking hands with the young man when he offered his hand to him and then to Rachel. The other two boys stayed back, still looking doubtful, the bigger one eyeing Rachel way too closely. Jensen stepped to block his view of the woman and the teen sneered. “I heard Emily’s ingeri used some kind of kung fu to save her. This one is too fat to kick any higher than my knee. My dad was right, the kidnapping story is all bullshit. Just more attention grabbing for the sainted Lovewells.”

“Hey! Mother Lovewell saw everything firsthand. Are you calling her a liar?!” Traian growled, pushing in chest to chest with the other boy to stare up into the bigger boy’s eyes. 

“Get out of my face, Traian. You know I can wipe the ground with you, so don’t push me!”

“I’d like to see you try, Gustaf,” growled Traian, blue eyes blazing with anger. Jensen couldn’t help but admire the much smaller boy’s bravery. Gustaf was as tall as Jensen but bigger in mass. Jensen thought he could take him easily, but waited to see if Traian could calm things down. Besides, big or not… Jensen didn’t relish the idea of getting into a fight with a minor, no matter how rude he was.

Also, one errant blow or kick could be disastrous for the life he ‘maybe’ held inside him.

When he’d first come to in Rachel’s apartment his stomach had been just a slight swell that he at first didn’t notice. But it grew fast. It went from slight swell to about the size of a 40-year old’s habitual beer-drinking belly. The chastity belt, having adapted to the girth, was faintly glowing again and rested comfortably around his non-waist. 

Rachel had been a saint sitting calmly as she waited out his half-hour panic attack and now, as things looked to be heating up, Jensen smiled amusedly when the petite woman put herself in front of Jensen as if ten manicured fingernails and a snarky attitude could protect him – and who knew, maybe she could. Jensen wouldn’t put it past this brave woman who he now counted as one of his closest friends.

The third teen suddenly pushed between them, locking eyes with Gustaf while pushing Traian behind him. “You’re twice the size of Traian.” The third boy scoffed. “Doesn’t take much bravery to challenge him. Why don’t you pick on someone that can give you a real run, eh? Challenge me.”

“You’re taking HIS side, Aleks? Even you said you had your doubts about the kidnapping story.”

“I said my father like yours, doubted it. I never said I did.”

“You’re nothing but an ass-kissing pussy, Aleks!” Gustaf hissed.

“Call me whatever you want. Our families made vows to follow the Lovewells when we came to this land decades ago. Our fathers pledged you and me at our births, and then we pledged ourselves at sixteen to be Traian’s closest companions, confidants and protectors. Do you not honor your own word?”

“That was before when she promised us all a chance to live like legends. Spouting off about untamed lands for us to explore and start new lives, where the true Gypsy can roam watched over by great guardians in the skies. What a crock of shit! She keeps us all huddled here in this mockery of a Gypsy camp trying to distract us from the fact that the Promise hasn’t come and probably never will. She finally does some significant magic again and she wastes it on an outsider!”

Gustaf turned to point a finger at Traian. “You can tell your grandmother all that I’ve said, I don’t care. I quit you, Traian Mikael Lovewell. I unbind my life from yours. I retract my Vow on the grounds of a False Promise given to me. We are done!”

Aleks, Traian and Emily all gasped in shock. Traian looked devastated, holding one hand out. “Gustaf. We’ve been together all our lives. We are friends. We are brothers.”

“No more!” Gustaf snarled, a deep-seated resentment blazing in his gaze. “Friends, brothers don’t lie to each other. Don’t give out empty promises! I despise you and your entire family, Traian.”

Traian retracted his hand as if stung. Unshed tears seeming to dry up after only one drop escaped and slid down his cheek. “I’m sorry you feel this way, Gustaf. You know that once I tell Mother Lovewell what you’ve said and she finds what you’ve said to be true, your entire family will have to leave?”

“Fuck you, Traian. The Cromwells aren’t the only ones that don’t believe. In the end, we’ll just see who’ll be the ones forced to leave!” With that parting shot, Gustaf turned and stomped angrily back into the hedge maze.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

TEN MINUTES LATER…

Jensen and Rachel watched Traian, the young man looking grim as he led them through the park and to a section fenced in for what Jensen and Rachel soon learned were the Lovewell community’s most beloved pets. Goats. The largest herd of goats Jensen had ever seen. Hundreds of goats kept in an enclosed area at the far end of the park from where Rachel and Jensen had entered. Because of the sharper slope that led down to the well-built enclosure, the pair hadn’t seen it from where they’d stood earlier at the main entrance to the Gypsy compound.

There were many people, male and female, young and old working in and around the small barn and the lean-tos and wooden porches that surrounded the barn. All of them seemed to be in a good mood as many called out a greeting to Emily and Traian. 

Many eyeing Rachel and Jensen curiously, and some even smiled and nodded in greeting, but none stopped them as Traian carried the nanny goat and headed for one of the larger outbuildings. The baby goats following. The building turned to be a nursery where mother goats and their babies were kept. Traian suggested leaving LB there to play while they went on to see Mother Lovewell. The little goat made the decision for Jensen when he began pulling at his leash obviously wanting to join the other kids gamboling about in the silly way baby goats had. He heard Rachel giggling as she watched a white kid using the mother goats as hopping stones.

Reluctantly, Jensen unlatched his leash and pocketed it as he watched LB scamper through the gate held open for him. Jensen was amazed at how much the little goat had come to mean to him, but he also knew he couldn’t take him everywhere. LB wasn’t a Pomeranian he could just plop in a handbag and go no matter how small he now was. He wouldn’t put it past the ornery goat to eat up any bag Jensen tried to put him in.

“He’ll be okay,” Emily said, smiling reassuringly up at Jensen.

She then took his hand and she and Traian led him and Rachel out of the park and to the largest house in the one lane community.

Even with it being bigger, it looked exactly like all the other houses. As they made their way up the front walk the front door opened and a harried-looking woman in her late twenties gestured for them to hurry in.

“Mama?” Traian said, confusion twisting his features. “I thought you were at home?”

“Your Nana called, she needed my help,” the woman answered before turning to look at the newcomers. “Hello, hello Rachel and Jensen!” she said with a big smile of welcome on her face. “Such an honor to finally meet you.” The woman continued as she gently eased them into the house and closed the door behind them. “I am Rhoshannah Kern, you may call me Rhosha. Emily and Traian are my children and Malia is my mother. I’ve been wanting to thank you personally for saving my daughter that day but Mother said to wait and you would be by soon and here you are.”

Jensen looked curiously about, the inside of the large house nothing like what he thought the home of a powerful Gypsy witch should look. Then again, it’s not like he knew any other witches, Gypsies or otherwise, so he didn’t know quite what he was expecting.

He just didn’t think it would be this normal. The foyer had large framed doorways leading off from it to their left and right. The foyer itself was the head of a long wood-paneled hallway that went straight back past a wide stairwell to what looked like the back of the house. Everything was done in medium-toned woods, light cream fabrics with punches of deep reds, browns and gold here and there in the fabrics and the décor.

“Really, there is no need to thank us. She needed help and we were there – anyone would’ve done the same,” Rachel was saying when Jensen turned his attention back to the women. “It was really Jensen who saved her. I tried but failed.”

“But no one else stepped up. Just you two,” Rhosha murmured, as she held onto Rachel’s hand and turned it so that she could look at the white bandage on Rachel’s arm. Her other hand patting it softly. “And you were injured while trying to help and that is commendable, too.”

“Yeah, Rach. If you hadn’t slowed the guy down maybe I wouldn’t have gotten there in time, so stop putting yourself down. You were amazing!” Jensen stepped in as Rhosha went quiet examining Rachel’s bandage while Rachel blushed and shot Jensen a thankful look.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Rhosha released Rachel and dug into the pocket of the green wool vest she wore over a cream-colored blouse, pulling out a dark purple flower with thick velvety leaves framing it. Jensen had no idea what kind of flower it was, only that it was beautiful in its stark simplicity. It had been mounted to a gold lapel pin, and taking it in both hands she pinned it to the collar of Rachel’s pale blue button-up shirt.

“I cannot grant you such great gifts as my mother can and has, but I would still like to give you this in gratitude. For the pain you suffered. It will grant you luck in love and life and it will never wilt as long as love for others resides inside you.”

Rachel’s mouth dropped slightly, unsure how to respond. “Um, uh… wow, thank you,” she finally said.

Rhosha then stepped back to look at them both. “Now, I know you just got here, but you’ll have to leave right away. Jensen, you need to go home and start packing.”

“Packing?” Rachel said, in surprise. “Wait, what? No, Rhosha… we need to speak to Malia. There’s something about Jensen that he really needs answers to.”

“But Mama! I wanted to show Jensen my puppy!” Emily piped up.

Holding up her hands to forestall any more resistance, Rhosha turned to her children. “Mother Lovewell said they have to leave and leave soon. Traian I need you to go back and get Jensen’s goat, they cannot stay.”

Nodding obediently, Traian turned and went back out the front doors while Emily struggled to keep from crying.

Rachel turned to Jensen and whispered. “How did she know about LB?” Jensen just shrugged, not knowing anything more than she did.

Rhosha smiled at them, obviously having heard their quiet exchange. “Temo at the Nursery barn called to give me a heads up that you were coming,” she explained then turned to look down at her daughter and gently pushed a tendril of hair out of her face, tucking it behind one small ear. “I know you’re disappointed, Luv. But you know that if Nana says they have to leave, they have to leave. You will see him again one day.”

“I – I don’t understand,” Jensen interrupted, a frown of worry deepening the line between his brows. “Did we do something wrong? Did we misinterpret her invitation to come here?”

“No, no… you are definitely more than welcome here. Just not now. Something has come up and her plans for you had to change accordingly.”

“What came up and what plans?!” Jensen shouted, his confusion briefly turning to frustrated anger. Surprise flashed across his face and he instantly clapped one hand over his mouth in remorse. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Things have been so weird for me lately.”

Malia stepped into view at the top of the stairs and cackled at Jensen. “Don’t worry about it, my boy. That’s just the hormones going nebun [crazy] inside you. We are in a hurry so I’m sorry to be so abrupt, but yes, you are pregnant with dragon eggs and yes, your chastity belt is reactivated only now it is set to the ice element rather than electricity or fire and it has bonded with your own dragon power too.”

“Pregnant?!” Rhosha exclaimed, in shock.

“Pregnant!” Rachel echoed but with a triumphant ring to her tone. She turned to shoot Jensen a smug look.

Jensen, however, just stared up at Malia as the old woman made her way down the stairs, Rhosha shook her head briskly then rushed up the stairs to help her mother.

“Eggs?” Jensen asked, tremulously.

“Yes, Jensen. Eggs. Jared's and your children. Three to be exact, although I can’t quite tell their genders yet. They are very upset that you won’t talk to them, they’ve been trying for hours now. Have you not noticed?” Malia nattered on, finally reaching the bottom of the stairs, Rhosha holding onto her arm as she turned to stare at Jensen in amazement.

Jensen switched his shocked gaze from one woman to the other. His eyes even landing at one point on Emily who had lost interest in the adults around her and was sitting on the floor near a shelf of knick-knacks rearranging what looked to be large pointed teeth mounted on bases of either wood or metal. –Dragon teeth!- Jensen realized.

He then turned back to Malia even as his hands came up to cup his round belly. “Children? I’m a guy. How can this be?” he said, his face going from shock to pure wonder and back again.

Malia smiled warmly. “Yes, my dear. Your children. If you’ve noticed a slight buzzing in your mind it’s not from a headache. That is your children trying to communicate with you. As for being male and being pregnant. Many wonders can be done with magic.” Malia then fluttered one hand impatiently at him. “I will explain more as well with talking to your children. I promise to help you with that, but not now. Now, we need to go and we need to go now. If we don’t catch this last bus before he gets here it will have all been for nothing.”

“When WHO gets here?” Jensen asked, but jumped when the front door banged open and Bram, the young boy he and Rachel had met at the gates rushed in with a red and swelling right eye.

“Mother Lovewell, MOTHER!” he shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Goodness, Bram! What is it?! What happened to your face?” Malia exclaimed.

“The Cromwells are stealing the Capra magie! Traian tried to stop them and now they’re hurting him! I tried to help him but Traian told me to get help!” The boy pointed towards the field right across from Malia’s home.

“The capra ma – LB?!” Jensen asked. 

“They DARE to lay one finger…” the suddenly enraged old lady began, heading for the front door.

Just then the loud scream of a baby goat in pain rang out. 

Rushing out onto the porch, Jensen first saw that three unknown boys were beating on Traian, his mouth opening to shout at them, but his suddenly glowing green gaze zoomed further across the field to where three more boys had LB!

The biggest one, Jensen recognized as Gustaf the bully was holding LB in the air by one leg, the other boys dodging playfully as the little goat spat tiny bursts of flame at them between pained cries. That is when Jensen noticed that the small leg in Gustaf’s hand was bent at the wrong angle. They’d broken his leg!

Everyone across the community froze as the enraged bellow of a dragon rent the air. Those close to Malia’s home; on the street, in their homes and in the field stared in shock at the rapidly growing man on Mother Lovewell’s front yard.

The man disappeared in a white flash of light, and in his place stood a fully grown silver dragon!

It shot a roaring icy blast straight up into the air before lowering its head to stare murderously at the boys who had LB. The boys that had been beating on Traian let him go and ran off screaming as Traian cowered on the ground where he lay, wide eyes staring up with awe and fear at something straight out of one of his fantasy novels.

Gustaf’s friends also cut and run even as the hulking boy began to tremble and babble in fear. His nerveless fingers dropping LB to the ground, eliciting another bleat of pain from the baby goat.

Jensen’s large, slit eyes glowed green, the ground beneath his large bulk frosting and cracking as he stalked forward. Fixing his deadly stare on the young boy Jensen’s massive chest began to expand as he inhaled while aiming his snout at the Gypsy boy. 

Suddenly, Malia was in front of him, laying one frail hand against his large frost laden snout. She pulled her hand back as if burned but shook one finger at him as if admonishing a child.

“Jensen Ackles don’t you dare kill one of my people on my own land! No matter how much he deserves it. He is just a child. You will regret it later, as will this stubborn, stupid boy’s family,” she scolded as she backed up to stand in front of Gustaf.

“GUSTAF… MY SON!” shouted a large, burly bald man who had burst through the edge of the crowd that had been forming, coming to a stumbling halt as he took in the bristling dragon. His large black eyes shot worriedly between the trembling teen and the huge silver dragon standing menacingly over him.

Jensen towered overall at nearly 15 feet tall and around 25 feet long including the thick, muscled tail that ended in a spade-like point. His leathery gray wings flared up above him making him seem even larger – the membranes a glowing white with the bright overhead sun shining down on them. His entire body was coated with silver scales in varying sizes – large plates along his back and sides, smaller scales along his neck, head and underbelly. The only discernible variation to his silver body was a swath of golden scales encircling his middle.

Gustaf was pressed to the back of the old lady, but at the sight of his father he attempted to pull away but Jensen’s growl and Malia reaching back to grab his hand stopped him. “Do not move, boy. You are not out of the woods, yet. Minhas, stay there, do not approach. Your son is fine.” The bald man nodded, swallowing nervously as he continued to stare at Jensen with a mixture of awe and fear on his face. 

Just then, LB attempted to get to his feet falling onto his side when he tried to stand on his broken leg, another cry of pain ripping out of him.

Jensen’s gaze switched to the baby goat and a warbling croon emitted from him.

Jensen’s head jerked to the side with a snarl, making the crowd jump and still the growing murmur of their voices as they had begun talking excitedly amongst themselves. Traian had stepped into Jensen’s line of sight with his arms held up in front of him to show that he was unarmed.

“Mr. Jensen, it’s me, Traian. Remember?” the brave teen called out to the still enraged dragon. “I protected LB earlier. I can help him now.”

Malia nodded at Traian with approval and pride while Rhosha stood on the stoop of the house holding Emily in her arms. Her awe giving way to worry for her oldest child. “Traian, be careful.” She called out.

Frost and long glacial breaths emanated from Jensen’s mouth and nostrils as he stared suspiciously at Traian. LB bleated when he spotted the young boy, recognizing him as a friend the little goat’s bawls of pain turned to entreating whimpers for help.

Jensen’s head swung back to LB again, this time little tremors of frustration making him shake as he repeatedly clenched and opened one large paw near LB – obviously wanting to pick him up but fearful of what the immense saber-like claws would do to the fragile injured animal.

Traian stopped next to LB, still looking determinedly up at Jensen. “I will help him, I promise. Let me help him.”

With his rage abating, Jensen finally recognized the young boy as a friend. He nodded his head in acquiescence.

“You must brace his leg first, Traian.” The bald man called out. “Here.”

The bald man stepped forward and bowed to Jensen. “Great Lord, I can help. Ask anyone here, I am the best at caring for the Capras [goats]. I have set a break like that many times.”

Jensen still suspicious, looked at Malia who had turned and was holding the shaking, sobbing Gustaf in her frail arms. “He tells the truth, Lord Dragon. There is none here better than Minhas.”

“I’m sorry for hurting the Capra magie, Mother Lovewell. I don’t know what came over me. I was just so angry,” Gustaf sniffed, his entire demeanor one of great remorse.

“Tchah… the infamous Cromwell temper,” Malia scoffed, many in the crowd nodding in agreement. Minhas looking chagrined even as he broke off two stiff twigs from a nearby tree and pulled the scarf from around his neck. He quickly made his way over to where Traian was trying to soothe the injured goat even as he held him down to keep LB from hurting himself further.

Sensing Jensen was in control of himself again, Malia released Gustaf and told him to go home and wait for his rightful punishment. Gustaf nodded resignedly and trudged off. Aleks ran to his side and threw an arm over his shoulders. As they left, Jensen watched Gustaf carefully but the teen seemed to have really learned his lesson. He didn’t throw off Aleks’ comforting hold and even seemed grateful for it.

“Maybe there is hope for the boy, yet,” Malia muttered, echoing Jensen’s thoughts. She then turned to look up at Jensen, a smile of joy taking over her features. “I had suspected you still held the power within you but never thought to see it for my own eyes. You are magnificent, child. But maybe it is time you turned back, neh? We have to hurry if we’re to catch the bus in town.”

A murmur of awe went up again as Jensen began to shrink and then disappeared in another flash of brilliant white light, only to reappear as a beautiful green-eyed man.

When Jensen turned to look at LB he saw that Minhas and Traian had managed to bind the little goat’s leg tightly and the large bald man now held him gently in his big arms. He turned remorseful eyes on Malia as he stepped closer. 

“I am sorry, Mother Lovewell. My son’s frustration is my fault. I doubted you and the Promise. But seeing him…” nods at Jensen. “…an actual Silver Lord in our midst I now know that I and many others here were wrong.” He turned to look back at the crowd, and many a regretful look was seen among the crowd. “We are sorry and if you find we are no longer worthy of your vision, we will understand.”

“Minhas, we are all only human. Until recently, even I had some doubts. You are my people, I could never abandon any of you.” A sigh of relief went up in the crowd a few calling out their gratitude.

“But now, time is not on our side. Still so much to happen before the Promise can be fulfilled. I will need you all to hold firm. I will be leaving here for a while and no one can come with me except for Jensen.”

Many a concerned voice rose, Malia cutting it off with a firm gesture of her hand. “No, where I go will be dangerous for any of you. Trust me now and go about your duties. I will deliver on my Promise to you all.”

The gypsies subsided reluctantly but followed her commands, each heading off to return to what they’d been doing before the ruckus started.

Turning to Jensen, she laid both hands on his forearms and stared earnestly up into his green gaze.

“We have to go now. I will explain it all to you once we are on the bus. Right now we must get my bags, go to your apartment and pack for you and then be on our way. He is almost here.”

“Who is almost here, I’m so confused,” Jensen said, softly.

“I know, I will explain as much as soon I can I promise, but Jared is on his way here and you two cannot meet before you have your third dream. Meeting before that will break the spell and put many at risk. You have to trust me now, Jensen.”

“J-Jared is coming here?!”

“Yes. Accompanied by my youngest daughter, Rhosha’s twin. She never believed in the Promise and doesn’t realize how much harm she could be causing by bringing him here. So we must leave. NOW!”


	9. Chapter 9

FOUR HOURS LATER…

The moment Jared stepped out of the taxi he and Shanna had taken from the small airfield just outside of town, he could smell something in the air that sent a tingling sensation to the tips of his fingers and toes. There was a charged quality in the air and it only took him a minute or two to recognize it.

“There is strong magic here,” he said out loud, a note of awe in his voice. The driver gave him a side glance before rolling up the window of his car and driving off, having been paid by Shanna.

“Damn, I meant to pay him. You didn’t have to.”

“It’s fine. Not like it broke my bank or anything. It’s not like have a private jet to fly us or anything.” Shanna teased him. “And you’re not wrong about the magic. I feel it too. It’s rare for those not born to it to be able to feel it.”

“I don’t feel it so much as I can smell it.”

Shanna’s brows flew up, even as she paused to stick her nose in the air and sniff delicately. “I don’t smell anything different from what I usually smell here. It smells like home,” she said, a sad look entering her eyes. She turned her head to fight off the burning of tears at the back of her eyes, her gaze running over the multitude of vehicles parked in the small lot and the grassy area surrounding the entrance and lot.

“I’m sorry if you bringing me here is causing you pain.”

“No, no… I’ll be fine. This is nothing compared to what you did for my husband and children. It was about time I came home anywa – what is with all the damn cars?! What the hell is going on?!” she cut herself off as the scene around her finally seemed to register.

“You mean it’s not always like this?” Jared asked, mischief lighting the hazel depths of his exotic tip-tilted eyes as he also looked around at the odd mixture of cars seemingly parked wherever they would fit. There must’ve been over a hundred, filling up the small parking lot and the grassy area surrounding them.

“No, this parking lot is usually always empty - to where it seemed like a waste of money to many of us.”

“Well, then it might be safe to say that something big might be going down? You think it’s Jensen?”

“I don’t know, Jared. What do you say we go find out?” tilting her head in the direction of the open gates.

Just as they passed the gates a voice rang out on the housing side of the street where a young boy sat under a large colorful beach umbrella in a folding canvas chair with a high back. To complete the beach bum look, the boy had a red and white cooler sitting in the grass next to his chair and he was wearing cut off denims, a colorful tank top and had white sunblock on his nose.“HALT! Who goes there?!” he’d called out to them, trying to sound serious by deepening his voice as much as he could.

As Jared turned to look over his shoulder at the boy, Shanna stepped around him to get a look for herself. The boy’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head when he spotted Shanna. “Aunt Shoshanna?!” he squeaked out, obviously in shock at seeing the woman. “You’re back!”

Shanna frowned at the teen for a second, then did some mild goggling of her own. Her hands started flying in sign language before she even spoke. “Bram? Little Bram Constantinescu?” she gasped as he jumped up from his chair and walked up to her. “I haven’t seen you since you were a brat of a 4-year-old! Has it really been ten years?”

“You and Aunty Rhosha still look so much alike, but your hair is blonder.”

“More blonde,” she corrected him, as she self-consciously smoothed a hand over her head. “I dye my hair, sometimes. This is called Strawberry Fields. Do you like it?”

“Meh,” the boy responded with a shrug. “I guess. Hair is hair. At least, I can tell you apart now!”

Shanna huffed good-naturedly, only mildly put out that Bran didn’t compliment her as most adults in polite society would’ve.

“He’s a boy, Shanna. What did you expect? Wow, that’s a mouthful of a surname, though!” Jared teased mildly, smiling at the young boy.

Bram shuffled his feet self-consciously but smiled happily at the taller man. “It basically means Constantin’s son. But you should talk, MISTER Padalecki.”

Jared laughed, a tension he hadn’t realized was tightening his shoulders and neck eased a bit as he let himself just be himself. “You’re one mouthy brat, Bram. But I like you. Friends?”

“Hell yeah!”

“Hey, language,” Shanna automatically reprimanded him even as her gaze began roaming about, taking in the obvious hubbub in the park.

“What is going on here, Bram? Where is Mother Love?”

“She’s gone.”

“Gone?!” Shanna’s knees gave out, Jared catching her as she stumbled against him.

Realizing what Shanna was thinking, Bram paled then hastened to explain, “No, she’s fine! I just meant she left town. With Balaur [Dragon] Jensen.”

“Balaur!” Shanna exclaimed. 

“Yup. The Promise spell started and Auntie Rhosha activated the Blood Draw spell as soon as Mother left. People just started coming in by the dozens. I was put here to direct people. Only old-style wagons and horses allowed in. Modern vehicles have to park outside. But, isn’t that why you’re here Auntie Shanna? I’m already here and I can still feel the drawing.”

“No Bram. I never gave my blood. I don’t feel anything,” she said with a tinge of regret.

“Oh.” Bram uttered, looking like he wanted to say more but holding back.

“The Promise spell is real? It’s working?” she asked, the boy nodded in answer.

“What spell?” Jared asked, looking confused. “Are you talking about REAL magic and Bram, you said Jensen. He’s real too? He was here?”

“Oh yeah, he definitely was. I can’t really say more Mr. Padalecki, I like your movies and I’m totally a fan but you’re also a străin [outsider]. I only said as much as I did cos’ of Auntie Shanna being with you.” 

“We need to go see my sister… and Jared, fair warning, she’s my identical twin.”

“They are gemeni oglinda [mirror twins]. Mother Love says they were prophesied.”

Jared’s confusion deepened.

“Come on, I’ll explain as we walk. I take it my sister is at Mother Love’s, Bram?”

“Yep! She is in charge of the spell now. Mother Love passed it to her before she left with Jensen.”

“Rhosha made First Apprentice?”

“Yup, four years ago.”

Shanna thinned her lips, her brow creasing with thought. Shaking herself out of it, she gestured for Jared to follow and as he fell into step beside her, Red pushed out of the chest pocket of his long-sleeved button-up shirt, her little arms stretching as she let out a big yawn. “What’s going on? Where are we?” she asked, not noticing Bram’s goggle-eyed stare before the boy turned and ran into the park’s hedge maze.

“Do you really sleep, Red? Aren’t you basically a machine?”

“In a way, yes. But my battery needs downtime to recharge.”

“She cycles all her systems down to the bare minimum during recharge. She can be awakened if she is or I am in danger, but when recharging she pretty much is in sleep mode – now how the hell did I know that?”

“I think you tapped into Frank’s knowledge again,” said Red, matter-of-factly, looking around them with interest.

“That is so freaky.” Jared muttered before turning back to Shanna. He measured his steps so that the much smaller woman didn’t have to jog to keep up with him.

“So what’s this about your sister and this Promise spell thing? Most importantly, where did Jensen go?”

“We’ll have to talk to Rhosha about Jensen ‘cos I can’t answer that. But as for me and my sister, it goes back many years when our mother Malia came into her powers at puberty…”

Shanna then told about when Malia was thirteen, she’d collapsed and slipped into a coma. None of the Gypsy healers or the resident witch at the time could figure out what was wrong or how to wake her up. In their desperation, Shanna’s grandparents were preparing to transport her to the nearest hospital when a woman walked into their campsite and demanded to see the Lovewells.

Her name was Tinka and everyone there, even those who’ve never met her, knew who she was. She was the most powerful witch in the entire country, if not the entire world. Stories about her went back for many decades. Some even thought her immortal.

No one knew how she knew about the Lovewells’ sick daughter, but she knew. Malia’s parents fell over themselves in gratitude for her appearance, sure she would save their only child. Instead, Tinka came to speak a prophecy she claimed to have held onto for over fifty years.

First, she reassured Malia’s parents that there is nothing wrong with Malia. That she was merely coming into her powers and that her mind needed to shut down to take it all in. She assured them that she will awaken on her own by the next day.

Later, while sitting by Malia’s pallet, Tinka laid one hand on Malia’s head and the other on her chest, right over her heart. Then to the shock of everyone in the covered wagon with them, the old woman’s eyes turned completely white and she spoke.

 _~“Într-o zi, un copil de dragoste robustă va purta doi care sunt ca niște oglinzi unii cu alții.~_  
[One day a child of robust love will bear two who are like mirrors to each other.]

 _~Oglinzile să arate la fel, să învețe la fel, să crească la fel. Chiar și pentru a aduce viața la fel.~_  
[Mirrors to look the same, to learn the same, to grow the same. Even to bring forth life the same.]

 _~Un fiu, o fiică, oglinzile vor purta. Fiii să fie lideri, fiicele să fie catalizatori ai Promisiunii.~_  
[One son, one daughter, the mirrors will bear. The sons to be leaders, the daughters to be catalysts for the Promise.]

 _~Promisiunea unei lumi noi în care cei care au sânge de dragoste robustă pot să iasă din nou în libertate. Pentru a înflori sub protecția aripilor dragonului.~_  
[The Promise of a New World where those with the blood of robust love can once again roam free. To flourish under the protection of dragon wings.]”

“I didn’t understand a single thing you just said, but it sounded beautiful and when you’re signing, it almost looks like a dance.” Jared said, with a small smile.

Shanna laughed, an edge to the sound that normally wouldn’t be noticeable in the sounds she made. She had started walking again, but then paused to look up at Jared.

“I used to tell it at our gathering every year. Back when I believed the Promise. It basically means that my mother and her descendants would bring about great magical wonders for those who are family. Those of the Lovewell Blood.”

“Lovewell Blood?”

“Usually, when a gypsy family joins another clan they take the blood of the leader of that clan into their body. The clan leader will put a couple drops of his or her own blood in a goblet of wine and everyone in the new family will take a sip. Even the children. The leader will then take some blood from each of them in turn and drink it in the same fashion, but with my mother, the blood was needed as a part of the Promise spell so she saved them in little vials that were spelled to keep the blood fresh.”

“So she has a collection of blood somewhere?” Jared asked, grimacing. “That’s kind of creepy. Is your mother a vampire?”

Shanna laughed but continued her story as they began walking again. “The vials are practically indestructible. Only the owner of the blood inside the vial, my mother and her apprentice can open them. If a family decides to leave the Lovewell clan, they would get their vials back and destroy them by opening them and spilling the blood into a fire and then smashing the vial. When I left here, I took my vial back.”

Jared shot Shanna a sympathetic look but had no idea what to say to her. All this talk about spells and blood, Jared was starting to think maybe he should’ve just stayed in New York City. He tapped Shanna on the shoulder lightly, waiting for her to turn before speaking. “Hey, how far away are we from San Diego?” he asked as if a thought had just occurred to him.

“About an hour’s drive, why?” she asked, coming to a stop at the corner where the road turned left and continued in a straight line down a similar street with more of the tall, narrow homes and their odd architecture. The flowering hedge that had been bordering the park on their left giving way to a wide-open meadow dotted with numerous colorful wagons of all sizes and shapes. People in varying colorful clothing moving in around them as if setting up for a circus.

It’s just funny that we’re so close to the city. I was going to head to San Diego in a day or two, anyway. Just a funny coincidence, is all.”

“There are no coincidences. If you were going to be in this state already on your own volition in one or two days, have I messed things up by bringing you here, early?” Shanna gasped, her face twisting in worry.

“Hey Shanna, it’s okay. Look at me.” Jared turned to the younger woman and held her firmly, yet gently by the shoulders.

Shanna looked up into Jared’s earnest expression; his hazel eyes evoking warmth and sincerity. “We don’t know yet if you messed up anything or not. Maybe this IS the way it was supposed to be. I’m fine, you’re fine and apparently, Jensen’s fine too, if he’s with your mother right?”

Shanna still looked distressed but nodded at Jared. “We still need to speak to my sister, Rho. Let’s go, that’s my mother’s house right across the street.”

“How can you tell? All the houses look the same,” Red groused.

Jared glanced down at the little android peeking out of his pocket, with an amused smile. “You sound disappointed, Red.”

She flopped one tiny hand about even as she kept the other on Blue, who was just peeking his head out over the edge of Jared’s pocket. Jared’s grin widened. Upon seeing him, Blue squeaked then ducked back down out of sight.

Jared’s smile fell into a pout. “Aw, why won’t he let me see him? Everyone else, even Chad got to play with him!”

“Boss!” Red said, reprovingly. “He DID see you eat all of his brothers and sisters you know. You need to give him time!”

Shanna was giggling as she watched them, her worries momentarily forgotten.

“This is all your fault!” Jared playfully accused her. “Now, I can never eat another gummy bear again, and they were one of my faves.”

“Oh, poor you!” Shanna gushed, Red giggling enough to make Blue pop his head back out – but when Jared leaned in to try and make friends with him, Blue squeaked even louder and dropped back out of sight. Jared’s pocket visibly shaking as the little bear quaked in fear.

“You scared him!” Red and Shanna both cried out, indignantly. Then, almost as if it were planned – Red smacked Jared’s chest with one tiny hand, just above where she was standing, while Shanna smacked the other side of his chest with a much larger yet still tiny hand in comparison to Jared.

Red had dropped out of sight by then, rushing to comfort her pet. While Jared just rubbed absently at where Shanna had smacked him. “Ow!” he said, petulantly.

Just then, they reached the short path leading to the house Shanna had pointed out, only then realizing there was a woman standing at the top of the small porch, smiling amusedly down at them.

“Hi Rho. Long time, no see,” Shanna said, her voice, even with its lack of intonation still sounding strained and nervous. She turned to face what was obviously her twin sister, raising her chin proudly.

“Hi Sho,” Rhosha replied, her own voice trembling even as her eyes pooled with tears. She held her arms out and took one step down.

With a heartrending sob, Shanna flew across the small yard and threw herself into her sister’s arms. The two young woman crying tears of equal joy and sorrow.

Jared watched them with a soft smile on his face until he heard a soft sniffling noise and looked down. Red was standing up in his pocket again and sobbing at the sight of the estranged sisters’ reunion. Blue was cradled in her arms; the little bear reaching up to wipe at Red’s tears, crooning whimpers of comfort at her.

“Red, you can cry?”

“Apparently so, sir. I seem to be able to do a lot more than I used to. I’ve been displaying more and more human-like thoughts and actions. What is this hollow, aching area in my chest, sir? When I look at Shanna and her sister, I feel a yearning and an emptiness.”

“I think you’re lonely, Red. Like Blue, you are missing a family.”

“But I’ve never had a family to miss.”

“Yet you feel like you are missing one. It’s another human trait, Red. One where some people feel the need to have other people in their lives that they know would love and support them no matter what. People who would never leave them.”

“Yes, I think that you’re right, sir. That sounds right. I am missing my family.”

“But Red…” Jared said softly, his warm tone making Red and Blue look up at him. “You DO have family. Me. I would never voluntarily leave you and I would do all in my power to protect you. Always.”

To his horror, Red burst into loud tears while Blue went berserk.

Rhosha and Shanna turned to stare at where Jared was struggling to console a loudly bawling, miniature sized red-headed woman, while also trying to catch a tiny little blue bear that was chattering angrily at him while running around the top of his head, jumping up and down in fury – Jared emitting an ‘ow’ every time the bear stopped to yank at his hair.

Shanna collapsed on the steps in laughter as Bram came out the front door of the house, having obviously run ahead of them to give Rhosha a heads up.

He stared in shock and awe at the scene before him. “Truly, the Promise is at hand. All the magic we’ve seen today, alone! It’s really happening!”

 

**************************************

 

After they’d all calmed down Rhosha had sent Bram off with a warning to keep what he’d seen to himself for now, and then escorted Jared and Shanna into the Lovewell Manor.

She’d taken them into the dining room just off the kitchen where she’d been preparing supper and Shanna automatically joined in with helping her. Red and Blue also helped as much as they could and everyone in the room was charmed by the way they worked together. Red was bigger and stronger than Blue, but the little bear was much faster and nimbler. What Red couldn’t reach he’d climb and get for her. Jared himself wasn’t allowed to help because Blue was still wary of him and any time he got too close to Red the little bear would start growling and chattering angrily at him.

The women all found it hilarious while Jared had taken up a caustic attitude with the temperamental bear. “Stop growling at me you little ingrate or I’ll pop you in the microwave.”

Red laughed and pet Blue consolingly. “No he won’t, little one. He likes you. I can tell.”

As they settled around the large, dark wood table where a savory smelling stew, biscuits, and salad along with all the condiments one could need, were arranged in the middle of the table on a large, wooden platform that rotated when one pulled or pushed on it. Jared noticed there was an extra setting beside his, but didn’t think about it long enough to bother asking who it was for.

Rhosha had just picked up a large, glass pitcher filled to the brim what looked like tea with clear cubes of ice, bright yellow lemon wedges and dark red raspberries floating in it when there was a knock at the front door.

“Ah, my timing was a bit off but he made it, after all,” Rhosha murmured to herself as she made her way around the table filling all their glasses. “Jared, why don’t you answer that? I believe he’s here for you.”

“Who is?” he asked, just as the doorbell chimed again.

Rhosha just smiled at him and gestured for him to rise, which he hastily did with a bemused expression on his face as he made his way back through the house and to the front door. Opening it, he frowned at the shadowy figure of a smaller man on the porch until the man stepped forward into the light pouring out from the open doorway.

“CHAD!” Jared exclaimed with mild shock and joy. The sight of his oldest friend a surprising relief. “What are you doing here?”

“Did you really think I’d let you go off on some magical adventure without me? I may be a little freaked out by all this but I’ve always had your back and no way am I stopping now,” the older blond retorted, he then sniffed the air and stepped past Jared into the foyer. “No need to thank me. But what you can do is feed me. Something smells good and I’m starving.”

As they walked back towards the dining room, Chad explained how he’d changed his mind about going with Jared just a mere ten minutes after Jared’s plane had taken off. From the tarmac, he’d called in a favor with a colleague of his who got permission from his own A-list client to loan Chad his private plane. It had taken the pilot and one crew member an hour to prep the plane then they were following after Jared.

The moment Chad entered the kitchen Red jumped up from the doll-sized table and chair that had been set up for her and Blue at the far end of the table. “Chad!” she cried out, happily. Blue was bouncing up and down next to her, also happy to see Chad.

“RedvsBlue!” Chad called to them happily, using the name of one of his favorite shows from his youth. “Only been a couple of hours and I already missed you squirts. Got room for a hungry traveler at your table?”

Chad was soon settled at the table taking the extra setting Rhosha had somehow known to set for him. After Rhosha and Shanna said a short blessing, they began to serve themselves.

Shanna turned to look inquiringly at her sister. “Rho, where are Kenneth and the kids?”

“I had Kenny take the kids to stay the night at his parent’s place. I knew I’d be busy with you all here, tonight.”

“At his parents?! But the Blood Draw… isn’t Kenny being drawn here too? Not to mention the kids who I know for a fact you gave their blood over to mother when they were born.”

Rhosha smiled at her sister. “Yes, they are all being drawn. Even Kenny’s parents. When I say his parent’s place I meant the large, overdone monstrosity of a red, white and blue house-wagon out in the field across the street right now. When Traian was born, Kenny and I sat down with his parents, who, for those who don’t know, are all the family my husband Kenny has. His inability to ever have another child and each of his parents being the only child of their own parents.” Rhosha removed the covers for the food and set them on a side table behind her as she continued talking. “We explained what I am, what our mother was and the possibility of the Promise spell.”

“His parents aren’t Gypsy are they?” asked Red, staring at Rhosha intently, who only shook her head in answer. “How did they take it?”

“They didn’t believe us, of course. They argued that I was a madwoman who was somehow controlling their son until I showed them a bit of magic.”

“Did it work?” asked Jared, caught up in the story.

“Well, no. They then panicked and started screaming about evil witches.”

Shanna burst out laughing.

“It’s not funny! They tried to call a priest to perform an exorcism!”

Shanna really lost it, then. “Oh my, I haven’t laughed so hard in so long!” she chuckled, wiping tears from her face as she slowly regained her composure.

“So what finally brought them around?” Chad asked. “Seeing as how they built themselves what is the Ferrari of Gypsy wagons out there, I saw it on my way in, I take it they’re now on board?”

“It was our son, Traian. He was almost a year old when Kenny’s dad showed up out of the blue at our house down the street. He said he grew up a lonely kid and when he first started dreaming of having a family he always wanted a big one, which didn’t happen. So what family he does have, he refuses to walk away from, no matter how different they were to him. He wanted to be in his grandson’s life. Kenny’s mother followed suit two days later and that was it.”

“My Michael is also the only child of parents who had no siblings. But he came to his parents late in their lives. They both passed in his early twenties, a year before we met. Like Kenneth, Michael accepted me for who I was and embraced my lifestyle for his own.”

Looking nervous, Shanna rose from her chair left the kitchen saying she’d be right back. Mere seconds passed and she was back. In her hand, she carried a 6-pack beer cooler with the word ‘Igloo” stamped on the red body of the little cooler. When Shanna opened it she showed three slightly glowing vials of blood nestled amongst ice packs. “Before we left New York City, I took them out of the cold case I had them in and spelled them as Mother taught us. But, being as rusty as I am I decided not to take any chances and packed it in ice.”

Rhosha took the vials from out of the mini-cooler and held it before Shanna. “Do you freely give your blood to this witch to be used in spells?”

“I do.”

“And are your husband and children in accordance as well?”

“They are.”

Rhosha smiled at Shanna then deposited the vials safely in her pocket. “I’ll add them in tonight and they should start feeling the pull by Dawn. Welcome home, Sister.”

“Thank you, Sister.”

“Okay enough with all the drama. The food is getting cold. Let’s eat!”

As they ate, Rhosha and Shanna retold the story about the Promise spell and Jared’s role in it for Chad’s sake.

“So Jared set things rolling when he saved Shanna’s family?” Chad asked.

“Yes. It hadn’t clicked with me back when it happened. Things had been so chaotic for us and then after we moved Florida to New York to stay with Kenny’s college buddy until we could find a place of our own; I was having some kind of post-trauma issues that led me to seek help from Meryl. She was so wonderful. When my magic got away from me in some of our more trying sessions she never batted an eye or gave up on me.”

Rhosha leaned over to her sister, laying a calming hand on her shoulder. “I wanted so badly to go to you. But Mother made me promise to leave you be until you were ready to come back on your own.”

“I know, Rho. I know. I’m just so mad at myself and my stupid, stubborn pride. All these years our children could’ve grown up together. All the years I’ve cut my children off from their own heritage. Michael embraced what I was and he would encourage me at times to reunite with you and Mother, but I was just so stupid!” Shanna was now crying openly, her food forgotten.

Giving in to the urge to help a friend who was obviously in pain, Jared rose from his seat and kneeled on the floor beside Shanna’s chair and gathered her into his large arms. Letting her lay her head on his chest as she cried fitfully.

To everyone’s surprise, Blue climbed up onto Jared’s arm until he was level with Shanna’s face. The little bear leaned far over to press his entire body against her tear stained cheek. He spread his stubby little arms to either side in an approximation of a hug, cooing at the crying woman.

Shanna gave a watery laugh, then pulled away from Jared, taking care not to knock the little bear off his arm. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Blue shrugged as if to say ‘It was nothing.’ Then he patted Jared’s arm as if in approval and hopped back onto the table. He scampered back across the table surface and jumped into Red’s arms, soaking up the praise she lavished on him.

After a couple of deep breaths and drying her eyes with a napkin Chad handed to her, Shanna smiled gratefully at Jared as the big man got back to his feet and reclaimed his seat.

“I don’t understand how I triggered all this,” he said. “I was with a team of three other men who helped to get you and your family out of your flooded home and into the boat. How do we know one of them didn’t trigger it?”

“Because…” Shanna sniffed, smiling knowingly at Jared. “You were the only one that jumped into the water after that large surge knocked Nataly out of the boat and swept her away. Michael, our son Travis and I tried to go after her, but while your team held us back in the boat, you jumped in without a care for your own safety and went after her.”

Chad gasped in shock. “Why is this the first I’m hearing of this? You told me you helped to save many families but I always thought it was from the safety of a boat, you never told me that you were actually ever in danger!” He turned to glare accusingly at Jared.

“I was fine. I didn’t wanna worry you. I was able to get to Nataly and hold her up out of the water until the boat got to us and pulled us back out.”

“Jared,” Shanna admonished him. “You got slammed by debris and had a fractured rib. You were in the hospital for three days!”

“You said you only had a sprained shoulder!” Chad growled accusingly.

“I just didn’t want anyone making a big deal over it. So many people wanted to turn it into some kind of media circus. ‘Hollywood Hotshot Turned Modern Day Hero’ one reporter tried to spin, but there was so much damage and lost lives that day, I didn’t want any attention taken away from that.” 

Chad huffed in exasperation. “Now I know why you had me fight that article and others like it from getting published so hard. I didn’t agree at the time, but I understand now. Next time you’re injured you tell me straight, Padalecki. No more lies!”

“Mother was there that day,” Rhosha butt in, looking at Shanna.

“She was?”

“She and some others from the American coven went there to first try and divert the storm and when that failed they then worked together to minimize its damage.”

“But there were millions in damage and almost a hundred people died!” Chad burst out. “What good did it do those people?”

“Chad!” Jared exclaimed.

“How dare you!” Rhosha snarled, the air suddenly heavy and felt by all as Rhosha’s eyes bored into Chad, tracings of electricity dancing across the orbs of her eyes. “All of the witch’s there that day lost years off their lifespans fighting that storm, including our mother!”

“He didn’t mean it!” Jared shouted, jumping up from his seat again to place himself at Chad’s side, the smaller man having quailed back in his seat. Staring at Rhosha in fear.

“It should’ve been more,” Shanna said, a note of awe in her voice.

“What?!” Chad stared at Shanna with shock. “You wanted MORE people killed or displaced?”

“No!” Shanna rushed to explain. “I mean, I remember many of the reports about Hurricane Helga, as it worked its way up the Keys headed for the mainland. It was gargantuan and all the experts predicted it to be the ‘storm of the century’. But now, it’s just one of many hurricanes in the history books. Mother and the other witches couldn’t stop it, but they somehow weakened it. The millions in damage and the 87 people lost that day could’ve been hundreds or even thousands lost, with damages in the billions.”

“She’s right, Chad,” Jared added. “At the Rescue Center afterward, I remember many locals saying the storm wasn’t acting right. It died out too fast and never reached as far inland as it had been predicted to. We were all very grateful for that, but I never thought it was because of magical help.”

“Mother was at the hospital the same time you all were, too.”

“What?!” Shanna gasped. “I… never saw her… why didn’t she come to me? I can usually sense magic around me, why didn’t I sense hers or the other witches?”

“To avoid inadvertently being spotted or recorded by anyone with a camera built into their phone, they used a cloaking spell. Mother refused to influence you or Jared. The Promise had to unfold on its own. She checked in on Nataly and Travis, then began the Promise spell by blessing Jared.”

“Then came back home and stuck by Emily, I bet,” Shanna added.

“Yes.” Rhosha laughed. “You should’ve seen how giddy she was waiting for Jensen to appear.”

“Wait, she knew about Jensen before she even met him?” asked Jared.

“No not exactly, she just knew that whoever your soulmate was, he would come to Emily in a time of great need. When she took Emily to the video shop in town she told me she nearly gave herself away when she saw Jensen and overheard him singing Jared’s praises to his co-worker. Seems like Jensen’s quite the superfan.” Rhosha teased, winking at Jared.

The big man blushed, making Red giggle. “Look! Big time Hollywood star and he still blushes! How adorable!”

Jared buried his now blazing face in his hands, everyone smiling with affection as they watched him. Even Blue seemed tickled as he kept pointing at Jared’s red ear poking through his hair.

Rhosha watched Jared with an approving look on her face. Shanna unknowingly doing the same.

“Humble,” Rhosha said.

“And Brave,” Shanna added.

Rhosha gave herself a little shake breaking out of her reverie. “Okay, okay… let’s stop embarrassing Jared – even if he’s all kinds of adorable when he blushes like that. Time for dessert, can I get a hand?”

Shanna was about to rise when Jared jumped to his feet, eager to get away from Red and Blue who were still chortling at him. Chad grabbed him by the forearm, however, making a ‘tsk-ing’ noise as he also rose to his feet. “This big buff heartthrob’s got a sweet tooth a mile wide. If you want to save any for you and the rest of us it’s best not to have Jared anywhere near the dessert. I’ll help you.”

“Hey! You act like I can’t control myself!”

“Four words Jare… my. Mama’s. pecan. pie.”

Jared bit back a grin but sat back down.

As Chad followed Rhosha into the kitchen the younger woman grinned at Chad conspiratorially. “So what happened with your mama’s pecan pie?”

Jared cringed upon hearing Chad’s answer.

“Let’s just say it happened three Thanksgivings ago, and my Daddy STILL hasn’t forgiven Jared.”

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Later, after coffee and a delicious peach cobbler for dessert (of which Jared had four servings) Rhosha took them out into the parkland across the street from her home. She asked for Red and Blue to stay hidden in Jared’s pocket again just to avoid unwanted attention.

“I mean, you’re all going to stand out like sore thumbs, and I’m sure many here will want to welcome Shanna home. Then, of course, we’ll probably have quite a few of your fans coming up to us also, Jared.”

As Jared walked beside Rhosha as they stepped into the little impromptu village and right away, the sight and sounds made Jared feel as if he’d been transported into another world. But not like it was with his dreams, vision, delusions… he wasn’t sure what to call them. Rhosha and Shanna had referred to them as gifts and blessings and if ‘real Jensen’ was anything like he was in Jared’s dreams then maybe Jared could get used to thinking of them as such, too.

Thinking of his visions brought back images of Jensen again. Images and events that ran vividly through Jared’s imagination. He thought of their first time in the Space Mercs world, feeling his member in his pants twitch as he recalled how soft and sensual Jensen had been. His smell and the texture of his skin when Jared had licked and nibbled on him.

Jared smiled to himself just as a loud crash was heard further down the avenue created by the carts and wagons lined up on either side of them.

“CAREFUL! Don’t hurt him! What did you do?!” a woman’s voice rang out, frustration rife in her tone.

“Nothing!” answered the heavy bass of a man. “I was grooming him when he suddenly sniffed the air and then jumped out of my arms.”

“Elby, get back here! Grab him before he injures himself further!” Jared heard.

“fir-ar sa fie [goddammit]! Even with an injured leg, he’s fast! Yeowch! He burned me! After working hours to fix his leg! Capra Magie or not, he is a little bastard!” the still unseen man roared.

“Elby,” Jared said to himself, even as he began walking faster towards the sound of the disturbance. “No, she’s not saying ‘Elby’, but could it be…?”

“Jared?!” Chad called to him, scrambling to catch up. The sisters following suit.

“LB!” Jared shouted, a note of wonder and glee in his tone just as the tiny goat scampered out from a space to Jared’s left.

LB bleated happily when he spotted Jared and with his casted rear leg dragging behind him, his other three legs churned even harder to get to Jared.

Before he could get even a foot further, a woman with dark hair and pale skin ran out from where LB had come from and snatched him up in her hands. Because of the sudden grab and lifting off of the ground, LB cried out loudly in fear.

Before Rachel could even begin to soothe and calm the baby goat, a thundering voice rang out through the air, making her blood freeze and her knees quake. Whipping her head to the right, she gasped in shock as she saw a tall, gorgeous glowing golden man glaring at her.

Bizarrely, her mind checked out for a second as she analyzed her inner wording to herself –gorgeous glowing golden man glaring- she chuckled to herself before her attention was brutally yanked into the present by said man roaring at her again; but this time it was accompanied by his hands and forearms bursting into golden flames.

“I SAID TO LET HIM GO!” Jared thundered at the woman.

Chad gulped in shock. “Holy shit!” he shouted. Then noticed the crowd gathering and that the woman holding the baby goat was not only trembling in fear but was also the most beautiful woman Chad had ever seen.

When Jared’s hands erupted into flames, Red popped out of Jared’s pocket. “Uh oh,” she said as she grabbed up Blue. “Things are getting too hot around here, time to abandon ship.” With Blue in her arms, Red hopped from Jared’s pocket, landing with a stumble in the grass beside him. Rhosha crouched to lay her hand on the ground beckoning to Red with the other. Red ran to her and Rhosha quickly deposited her and Blue into the fragrant pocket of her dress. But it was too late. Many in the crowd gasped and murmured in wonder at the sight of Red.

Shanna stepped closer to Jared but made sure to keep a safe distance from the heat waves emanating off of his body. Shanna was surprised that Jared’s clothing hadn’t erupted into flame yet. In fact, all that he wore, even the expensive looking watch on his left wrist looked unaffected.

“Jared, you need to calm down. Who is LB?”

The moment she said his name, LB bleated as if answering for Jared. Jared’s anger cooled a bit more as he smiled at the little goat.

Making a visible effort to calm down, Jared cleared his throat and turned his gaze from LB and back to the attractive woman holding him protectively in her arms. It was now obvious that she meant no harm to LB and was, in fact, trying to protect him in her own way.

The golden flames bathing Jared’s arms and hands began to grow smaller then recede. The nimbus of scorching heat surrounding him retracting and cooling.

Before he could start offering apologies, Chad stepped up beside him. “Dude, you never told me you could do that. Cool as it is, I am so glad you can control it. Otherwise, I’d have to kill you for harming this enchanting example of grace and beauty before I could even get her name.”

Rachel and Jared both rolled their eyes.

Fixing Chad with a challenging stare, Rachel smirked at him. “HIS name is LB and frankly he’s a little too young for you.”

Chad gaped in shock for two seconds, turned to look at Jared then back at Rachel. “Oh please. Say you’re single and that you’ll marry me.”

Rachel turned red and fought to keep stop from smiling as everyone around her broke out into laughter. Walking cautiously up to Jared, she held the baby goat out to him. “He seems to know and trust you and one thing I’ve come to know about LB in the short time I’ve known him is that he’s an excellent judge of character.”

“Well, that’s because you’re not only beautiful but smart, too!” Chad gushed, his blue eyes sparkling with admiration. Shanna and Rhosha tittering behind him.

LB leaned over in Jared's arms and nipped Chad’s ears, making the blond man yelp and jump in surprise. “OUCH!”

“Like I said,” Rachel grinned. “EXCELLENT judge of character.” She then turned and walked over to Rhosha, smiling as she was introduced to Shanna.

“Oh sweetheart, don’t be like that…” Chad was about to trail after her when LB suddenly let out a little gout of flame into his path, stopping Chad in his tracks. “Ok, never mind. I’ll see you later then.”

Jared couldn’t help but laugh as he cuddled LB close; relishing the link to Jensen that the little goat was to him. Every time he started to worry that he’ll never meet the man of his dreams, the man he was sure he was in love with, fate dropped another crumb to give him hope.

Jared prayed that fate would continue working in their favor.

**Author's Note:**

> Would love to hear from you, I live for comments! :D


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